Report from the Hill with Richard Brescia, NYPGA Lobbyist
Week of March 30, 2015
It's "Electric"
This report covers legislative activity from the week of March 16 through the week of March 30 and includes new bill introductions during the week of March 30, but also the cumulative record of all bills followed.
The e-ticket bill has been introduced in both houses;
S-4545/A-6646. The legislature, after completely the budget "on-time"adjourned until April 20, 2015.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced the Reforming Energy Vision (REV) plan, an initiative whereby utilities will actively manage and coordinate a wide range of distributed resources, or generate electricity from many small energy sources and link them together.
How?
By introducing and embracing information technology and clean energy solutions, millions of New Yorkers will benefit from a 21st Century power grid, enabling them to better manage and reduce their energy costs while protecting and preserving the environment. He also said "[f]or more than 100 years, the generation and distribution of electricity in New York has been largely unchanged" though the deregulation in federal act requiring the establishment wholesale generators in place of utility owned generation,establishment of local distribution companies and market pricing of electricity and natural gas have had a dramatic affect on these markets.
And this from the Public Service Commission Chair:By fundamentally restructuring the way utilities and energy companies sell electricity, New York can maximize the utilization of resources, and reduce the need for new infrastructure through expanded demand management,energy efficiency, renewable energy, distributed generation, and energy storage programs.
[These trends represent the long term implementation of two important deregulation statutes found in federal law: Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act of 1978(PURPA); Energy Policy Act (EPAct)]
While details are lacking it means the state will make loan guarantees to adventurous energy technology companies to achieve the goals of the State Energy Plan to back out of fossil fuels and require utilities to purchase a "mix" of electricity produced by solar, renewables, etc.,while managing the demand side of the equation. Honk if you love Al Gore!
Bills of Interest to the Industry
Below is the running list of items we are following. You can go directly to the week of March 16 and March30 to see bills introduced during those weeks.
Senate4238 now has a companion, A 6214. This bill conveys
Good Samaritan status on first responders including private entities called to assist and acting at the direction and supervision of public sector first responders. It is an expansion of Art. 23, Env. Con. L. that currently provides some but inadequate indemnification to participants in emergency response. This is particularly important in light of NYPGA's extensive first responder program.
A new initiative is the "e-ticket" bill to allow digital transmission of tickets to customers, in lieu of or in addition to a meter-generated paper ticket now left at the time of the delivery pursuant to Sec. 192, Ag&Mkts L. It would make the state consistent with National Institute of Standards and Technology's Handbook 44. See S-4545/A-6646.
The budget "deadline was pursued in earnest and timely manner with the governor able to claim an on-time budget for 5 years running.
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SENATE
*S00762Provides a tax exemption from sales and compensating use taxes on alternative energy systems
* S01189Expands remedies for violations of New York state uniform fire prevention and building code
* S01230Provides that the use tax on heating fuels shall be suspended during winter months for certain low income senior citizens
* S01411Enacts the "electric super highway act of 2015"
* S02103Gives justice courts limited equity powers to compel
compliance with local zoning, building and fire prevention codes
* S02505Requires additional disclosures from lobbyists
* S02825Relates to price gouging
* S02973Makes certain amendments concerning zone pricing of
gasoline
* S03586Relates to requiring liquid petroleum pipeline facilities to accelerate the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of equipment or pipelines that are leaking or at a high-risk of leaking.
* S04213Establishes a natural gas safety and infrastructure
replacement program
*S04238Enacts the New York emergency responder act GOOD
SAMARITAN. S/A 6214
* S04242Relates to the transportation of liquefied natural and
petroleum gas; repealer
* S04243Creates a private right of action for unlawful price gouging for injunctive relief and recovery of actual damages or $1000 whichever is greater
* S04252Relates to residential qualifications for service on the
examining board of plumbers in the city of Middletown
* S04208Enacts into law major components of legislation necessary to implement the state fiscal plan relating to transportation, environmental conservation and economic development.
Week of March 16 -
* S04318Relates to public petitions for rule making
* S04319Relates to improving evaluations of the potential impact of rules on jobs and employment opportunities
*S04545Provides for the issuance of receipts for the delivery of
liquefied petroleum gas by electronic means
Week of March 30 -
*S04638Relates to violations of the uniform fire prevention and building code
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ASSEMBLY
* A00054Implements the empire propane education and research act
* A00133Specifies requirements for motor fuel advertising media
* S00963Directs the board of regents and the state education
department to develop a model for improved articulation of the
education program for career mobility
* A01303Prohibits gas stations from advertising only cash discounted prices
* A01308Extends the moratorium on the issuance of environmental safety certificates for facilities and routes for the transportation of liquefied natural or petroleum gas
* A01354Authorizes the attorney general to bring an action for violation of the prohibitions concerning unlawful selling practices and specifies damages awardable
* A02865Expands remedies for violations of New York state uniform fire prevention and building code
Week of March 16 -
*A06154Relates to the criminal enforcement of violations of the state's uniform fire prevention and building code.
*A06214Enacts the New York emergency responder act. S/A 4238."Good Samaritan Law"
Week of March 30 -
* A06646Provides for the issuance of receipts for the delivery of
liquefied petroleum gas by electronic means
* A06647Establishes the 2015 alternative fuel and electric vehicle incentive program
* A06592Exempts new electric vehicles, clean fuel vehicles and
vehicles that meet the clean vehicle standards from first year of
registration fees
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