Establishes the New York state energy storage siting task force to review the findings and recommendations of the Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group, summarize other current data and research and provide recommendations including any recommendations for where more data may be required.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6667
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 19, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni-
cations
AN ACT establishing the New York state energy storage siting task force;
and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration there-
of
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Establishment and composition. 1. The department of public
2 service shall convene an energy storage siting task force within ninety
3 days of the effective date of this act, hereinafter "task force".
4 2. The task force shall be composed of 15 members as follows:
5 (a) the chair of the public service commission, or the chair's desig-
6 nee, who shall be the chair of the task force;
7 (b) the commissioner of environmental conservation, or their designee;
8 (c) the chair of the New York state energy research and development
9 authority, or their designee;
10 (d) the commissioner of homeland security and emergency services, or
11 their designee;
12 (e) the secretary of state, or their designee;
13 (f) the state fire administrator, or their designee;
14 (g) five members appointed by the governor; and
15 (h) four members appointed by the legislature, two of whom shall be
16 appointed by the temporary president of the senate, two shall be
17 appointed by the speaker of the assembly.
18 3. Of the four members appointed to the task force by the temporary
19 president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly, the temporary
20 president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly shall each
21 appoint:
22 (a) One member who has a background or expertise in fire safety and
23 responding to and extinguishing fires; and
24 (b) One member who represents a not-for-profit trade association
25 representing the energy storage industry.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11056-02-5
S. 6667 2
1 4. Of the five members appointed to the task force by the governor,
2 the governor shall appoint:
3 (a) one member who has a background or expertise in clean energy
4 siting; and
5 (b) one member who has a background or expertise in building and fire
6 codes.
7 § 2. Compensation. The members of the task force shall receive no
8 compensation for their services but shall be allowed their actual and
9 necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties pursuant
10 to this act.
11 § 3. Meetings. The task force shall meet at such times and places as
12 may be determined by its chair. The task force shall meet at a minimum
13 of six times per year. A majority of the members of such council shall
14 constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Action may be
15 taken, and motions and resolutions adopted, at any meeting by the affir-
16 mative vote of a majority of the full membership of the task force.
17 § 4. Powers and duties. The task force shall:
18 1. Review the findings and recommendations of the Inter-Agency Fire
19 Safety Working Group, summarize other current data and research and
20 provide recommendations including any recommendations for where more
21 data may be required;
22 2. Support any relevant state entity in any regulatory processes
23 related to energy storage while the task force exists;
24 3. Create and distribute materials to municipalities and industry
25 professionals regarding energy storage best practices for safety, which
26 may include hazard detection systems, ventilation and cooling strategies
27 for protecting against thermal runaway, fires and explosions, and recom-
28 mendations for setbacks;
29 4. Conduct a minimum of three public hearings for input annually;
30 5. Issue an interim progress report at the end of the first year of
31 the task force's operation. Such interim report shall be delivered to
32 the governor and the legislature and be posted publicly on the depart-
33 ment of public service's website; and
34 6. Issue a final report at the end of the second year of the task
35 force's operation. Such final report shall be delivered to the governor
36 and the legislature, and be posted publicly on the department of public
37 service's website.
38 § 5. Facilities and assistance. The department of public service shall
39 provide the task force with such facilities, assistance and data as will
40 enable the task force to carry out its powers and duties. Additionally,
41 all other agencies of the state or subdivisions thereof shall, at the
42 request of the chair, provide the task force with such facilities,
43 assistance, and data as will enable the task force to carry out its
44 powers and duties.
45 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately, and shall expire and be
46 deemed repealed on the one hundred twentieth day after the submission of
47 the final report of the task force pursuant to subdivision six of
48 section four of this act; provided that the chair of the public service
49 commission shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon
50 the occurrence of the submission of the final report of the task force
51 pursuant to subdivision six of section four of this act in order that
52 the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective data base
53 of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance
54 of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and
55 section 70-b of the public officers law.
