Directs NYSERDA to develop a geothermal education and outreach program to provide guidelines, planning, and financial support for qualified school districts that wish to convert to a geothermal energy system as their primary source of energy.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3339
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 27, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. WALCZYK -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni-
cations
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to enacting the
"geothermal education and outreach (GEO) act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "geothermal
2 education and outreach (GEO) act".
3 § 2. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section
4 1872-b to read as follows:
5 § 1872-b. Geothermal education and outreach program. 1. Definitions.
6 As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following
7 meanings:
8 (a) "Geothermal energy system" means a renewable energy system, as
9 defined by section sixty-six-p of the public service law, that generates
10 electricity through the use of geothermal electric or geothermal ground
11 source heat technology.
12 (b) "Program" means the geothermal education and outreach program
13 established pursuant to subdivision two of this section.
14 (c) "Qualified school district" means a public school district that
15 the authority determines can feasibly convert to geothermal energy as
16 its primary source of energy based on location, resources, and other
17 relevant factors as determined by the authority.
18 2. Geothermal education and outreach program. (a) The authority is
19 hereby directed to establish and administer, in consultation with the
20 commissioner of education, a geothermal education and outreach program
21 to provide guidelines, planning, and financial support for qualified
22 school districts that wish to convert to a geothermal energy system as
23 their primary source of energy.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06462-01-5
S. 3339 2
1 (b) Qualified school districts that convert to a geothermal energy
2 system under the program shall be reimbursed by the authority for ninety
3 percent of the costs of such conversion.
4 3. Rules and regulations. The authority is hereby authorized to
5 promulgate any rules and/or regulations necessary to effectuate the
6 provisions of this section.
7 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
8 have become a law.
