Relates to establishing the New York state grid modernization commission; provides the commission shall conduct a study of research, development and demonstrations of electric grid modernization and shall issue such report to the state energy planning board for consideration in the state energy plan.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4590
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 10, 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 in relation to establishing the New York state grid modernization
commission
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. New York state grid modernization commission. (a) Within
2 one hundred eighty days of the effective date of this act, the New York
3 state grid modernization commission shall be established.
4 (b) The New York state grid modernization commission shall consist of:
5 (i) the chief executive officer of the department of public service or
6 their chosen designee, (ii) the commissioner of environmental conserva-
7 tion or their chosen designee, (iii) the commissioner of economic devel-
8 opment or their chosen designee, (iv) the commissioner of transportation
9 or their chosen designee, (v) the commissioner of labor or their chosen
10 designee, (vi) the commissioner of the division of homeland security and
11 emergency services or their chosen designee, (vii) the commissioner of
12 agriculture and markets or their chosen designee, (viii) the commission-
13 er of health or their chosen designee, (ix) the secretary of state or
14 their chosen designee, (x) the president of the power of authority or
15 their chosen designee, (xi) the president of the New York state energy
16 research and development authority or their chosen designee and (xii)
17 two representatives appointed by the governor, two representatives
18 appointed by the temporary president of the senate and two represen-
19 tatives appointed by the speaker of the assembly as well as one repre-
20 sentative appointed by the minority leader of the senate and one repre-
21 sentative appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. Such
22 members shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions of subdivi-
23 sion (c) of this section.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01626-01-5
S. 4590 2
1 (c) The grid modernization commission shall include members from
2 communities of color, low-income communities, and communities bearing
3 disproportionate pollution and climate change burdens, or shall be
4 representatives of community-based organizations with experience and a
5 history of advocacy on environmental justice issues, and shall include
6 at least two representatives from New York city communities, two repre-
7 sentatives from rural communities, and two representatives from upstate
8 New York urban communities. Such representatives shall have experience
9 in one or more of the following fields: economics, engineering, law,
10 utility regulation, consumer advocacy, or environmental management.
11 (d) Members of the grid modernization commission shall serve without
12 compensation, but shall be reimbursed for the necessary and actual
13 expenses incurred in the performance of duties as members of the commis-
14 sion.
15 (e) The grid modernization commission shall meet biannually.
16 § 2. (a) The grid modernization commission shall, in consultation with
17 the department of public service, conduct a study of research, develop-
18 ment, and demonstrations of electric grid modernization that address the
19 principal challenges identified in the New York Independent System Oper-
20 ator's 2021-2040 System & Resource Outlook and any subsequent twenty-
21 year comprehensive reliability plans. The study shall identify tools,
22 resources, and deployment models that may enable improved performance
23 through the adoption of emerging, commercially available or advanced
24 grid technologies or solutions, including but not limited to:
25 (i) micro-grids;
26 (ii) distributed energy resources;
27 (iii) energy storage;
28 (iv) electric vehicles;
29 (v) electric vehicle charging infrastructure;
30 (vi) integrated information and communications systems;
31 (vii) transactive energy systems;
32 (viii) advanced demand management systems;
33 (ix) the role of the speed of interconnection to the distribution or
34 bulk system in enabling a robust future electric grid;
35 (x) the role of state and local regulatory authorities in enabling a
36 robust future electric grid to ensure that:
37 (A) electric utilities remain financially viable;
38 (B) electric utilities make the needed investments that ensure a reli-
39 able, secure, and resilient grid; and
40 (C) costs incurred to transform to an integrated grid are allocated
41 and recovered responsibly, efficiently, and equitably; and
42 (xi) any other technologies, solutions, or strategies that the commis-
43 sion deems important to modernizing the grid.
44 (b) The grid modernization commission shall solicit input from stake-
45 holders, including but not limited to:
46 (i) local governments;
47 (ii) municipal utilities;
48 (iii) utility companies;
49 (iv) rural electric cooperatives;
50 (v) labor unions;
51 (vi) ratepayers;
52 (vii) trade associations;
53 (viii) generators;
54 (ix) community organizations; and
55 (x) transmission owners.
S. 4590 3
1 (c) The grid modernization commission shall hold at least one public
2 hearing in the preparation of the study and may base study findings on
3 existing literature.
4 (d) Any expenses associated with the reimbursement of the grid modern-
5 ization commission members shall be borne by the New York state energy
6 research and development authority.
7 (e) No later than eighteen months after the effective date of this
8 act, the grid modernization commission shall issue a report on the find-
9 ings of its study to the state energy planning board containing any
10 recommendations appropriate for consideration in the development of the
11 state energy plan. The grid modernization commission shall issue an
12 annual report following the submission of its initial report to the
13 state energy planning board with any necessary updates. Such reports
14 shall be posted on the authority's website and be issued to the tempo-
15 rary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly.
16 § 3. The grid modernization commission shall make recommendations to
17 the New York state energy research and development authority of grants
18 that the authority may make to carry out eligible projects related to
19 the modernization of the electric grid, including but not limited to the
20 application of technologies to improve observability, advanced controls,
21 and prediction of system performance on the distribution system.
22 § 4. In the development of the state energy plan, the state energy
23 planning board shall consult with the grid modernization commission and
24 consider the reasonableness, efficacy and expense of including in the
25 state energy plan the recommendations contained in the grid moderniza-
26 tion commission's report issued pursuant to this act.
27 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
