Requires the Long Island power authority to conform to safety standards regarding manual lockable disconnect switches for solar electric generating equipment.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A5525A
SPONSOR: Englebright (MS)
 
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the public authorities law, in
relation to external disconnect switches on solar electric generating
equipment
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To eliminate any requirement that
solar electric generating equipment of less than 25 kilowatts have an
external disconnect switch.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Under no circumstances shall such
standards require the use of such a manual lockable disconnect switch on
residential solar electric equipment of not more than twenty-five kilo-
watts, when such equipment is in compliance with Underwriters Laborato-
ries interconnection standard 1747. The authority shall comply with the
provisions of section sixty-six-j of the public service law.
 
JUSTIFICATION: In February 2009, the state's Public Service Commis-
sion issued a ruling requiring that all utility companies eliminate the
requirement for the external disconnect switch used in solar installa-
tions sized 25kW and smaller.
Since that ruling, all the state's utility companies have complied
however the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), a state owned utility
company, has not.
All solar energy converting equipment currently sold on the market
today, are required to meet the rigid standards of IEEE 1547 and UL 1741
anti-islanding provisions, preventing "grid connected" inverter equip-
ment from back feeding power to the grid when there is a utility power
failure.
Requiring a redundant manual disconnect switch only adds to the cost of
an already expensive solar installation between $700 and $1400 to the
customer.
This amendment changes the current law to reflect the February PSC deci-
sion.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2009-10 A10245 referred to energy
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5525--A
Cal. No. 123
2011-2012 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 23, 2011
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, HOOPER, GUNTHER, JAFFEE, MAISEL,
CASTRO, MARKEY, GABRYSZAK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. AUBRY,
BOYLAND, BOYLE, BRENNAN, MAGEE, McENENY, REILLY, THIELE -- read once
and referred to the Committee on Energy -- reported from committee,
advanced to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining
its place on the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to external
disconnect switches on solar electric generating equipment
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 1020-cc of the public authorities law, as added by
2 chapter 517 of the laws of 1986 and as renumbered by chapter 334 of the
3 laws of 1987, is amended to read as follows:
4 § 1020-cc. Authority subject to certain provisions contained in the
5 state finance law, the public service law, the social services law and
6 the general municipal law. All contracts of the authority shall be
7 subject to the provisions of the state finance law relating to contracts
8 made by the state. The authority shall also establish rules and regu-
9 lations with respect to providing to its residential gas, electric and
10 steam utility customers those rights and protections provided in article
11 two and sections one hundred seventeen and one hundred eighteen of the
12 public service law and section one hundred thirty-one-s of the social
13 services law. The authority shall conform to any safety standards
14 regarding manual lockable disconnect switches for solar electric gener-
15 ating equipment established by the public service commission pursuant to
16 subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision five and subparagraph
17 (ii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision five-a of section sixty-six-j of
18 the public service law. The authority shall let contracts for
19 construction or purchase of supplies, materials, or equipment pursuant
20 to section one hundred three and paragraph (e) of subdivision four of
21 section one hundred twenty-w of the general municipal law.
22 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08771-02-1