Add Art 8 Title 9-D §§1920 - 1923, amd §1854, Pub Auth L
Enacts the "go green schools act" to assist school districts in converting to renewable energy sources as a primary source of energy; directs NYSERDA to conduct a study and make recommendations for such purpose.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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2482
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 21, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- 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 establishing
the "go green schools act" to assist schools in converting to renewa-
ble energy systems as a primary source of energy
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "go green schools act".
3 § 2. Article 8 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a
4 new title 9-D to read as follows:
5 TITLE 9-D
6 GO GREEN SCHOOLS ACT
7 Section 1920. Definitions.
8 1921. Mapping.
9 1922. Study.
10 1923. Reporting.
11 § 1920. Definitions. For the purposes of this title:
12 (a) "authority" shall have the same meaning as set forth in subdivi-
13 sion two of section eighteen hundred fifty-one of this article; and
14 (b) "renewable energy systems" shall have the same meaning as defined
15 in section sixty-six-p of the public service law.
16 § 1921. Mapping. 1. The authority shall develop a mapping tool to
17 provide to schools to assist such schools in converting to renewable
18 energy systems as a primary source of energy.
19 2. The mapping tool shall be posted prominently and publicly on the
20 authority's website and shall include the following features:
21 (a) provide sufficient information and guidance to schools to compre-
22 hensively evaluate what type or types of renewable energy systems will
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06639-01-5
S. 2482 2
1 be the most cost effective option for meeting the energy needs of each
2 school in the state; and
3 (b) renewable energy system siting information, such as: land use
4 cover data; disadvantaged communities; brownfields; previously disturbed
5 and developed sites including but not limited to large rooftops, parking
6 lots, and landfills; agricultural soils and agricultural districts;
7 forests; wetlands, floodplains, and waterbodies; historic, cultural, and
8 archaeological resources; public parks, preserves and recreational
9 resources; conserved and protected lands; hosting capacity; distrib-
10 ution, and transmission lines; and topography as relevant to siting
11 renewable energy systems.
12 3. The authority shall complete and post the mapping tool on its
13 website on or before December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-seven.
14 § 1922. Study. 1. The authority, within twelve months of the effective
15 date of this title, shall conduct a study of the financial feasibility
16 and sustainability of converting each public school district to renewa-
17 ble energy as a primary source of energy.
18 2. Such study shall include, but not be limited to:
19 (a) the ability of each school district to safely house its own inde-
20 pendent energy harnessing source and store the energy harnessed, includ-
21 ing the use of nearby structures to create local storage battery facili-
22 ties nearby;
23 (b) the ability to plug schools that are not connected to a renewable
24 energy source into existing renewable energy sources, including but not
25 limited to solar farms, hydrogen energy plants, wind farms, geothermal,
26 and other renewable energy sources, as approved by the authority, that
27 are nearby;
28 (c) the creation of microgrids to connect school districts to local
29 renewable energy sources, and the cost to upkeep such microgrids; and
30 (d) recommendations regarding the most feasible renewable energy
31 sources for converting public school districts to renewable energy,
32 including the most cost-effective routes to connect schools with such
33 renewable energy sources.
34 § 1923. Reporting. 1. (a) The authority, no later than three months
35 following the completion of the mapping required pursuant to section
36 nineteen hundred twenty-one of this title and the study required pursu-
37 ant to section nineteen hundred twenty-two of this title, shall submit a
38 report to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and the
39 speaker of the assembly, containing the results of such mapping and the
40 findings of such study.
41 (b) The report required pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision
42 shall include, but not be limited to:
43 (i) recommendations for the most efficient ways to convert schools to
44 renewable energy systems; and
45 (ii) recommendations for financial savings programs to incentivize
46 school districts to convert to renewable energy systems.
47 2. The authority, no later than twelve months following the completion
48 of the mapping required pursuant to section nineteen hundred twenty-one
49 of this title and the study required pursuant to section nineteen
50 hundred twenty-two of this title, shall submit a second report to the
51 governor, the temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the
52 assembly, containing projections regarding the sustainability and upkeep
53 costs of the renewable energy projects recommended in the first report
54 required pursuant to subdivision one of this section.
55 § 3. Section 1854 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a
56 new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
S. 2482 3
1 9. To develop and provide a mapping tool and assistance to each public
2 school district in converting to renewable energy sources as a primary
3 source of energy pursuant to title nine-D of this article.
4 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
