Establishes the school energy efficiency program which shall construct a proposal to streamline the approval process for the installation of energy efficiency projects in public schools.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5976--A
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 9, 2015
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Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO, JAFFEE, SCHIMEL, PICHARDO, QUART, FINCH,
LINARES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GARBARINO, HOOPER, JOYNER,
SALADINO, SEAWRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Education -- recommitted to the Committee on Education in accordance
with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT establishing the school energy efficiency program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative intent. At a cost annually of over $1 billion
2 dollars in utility costs, the energy costs for public schools in New
3 York need to be addressed to reduce such escalating costs and to allow
4 for a redirection of such expenditures to improve academic performance
5 in our state. The legislature therefore finds that New York state should
6 conduct a review of the project approval process to determine how best
7 to expedite the start of construction and implementation of school ener-
8 gy efficiency projects. Currently, energy projects are reviewed by the
9 same group at the New York state education department that is also
10 responsible for reviewing critical school district capital projects. The
11 process review should focus on how a higher priority might be given to
12 energy efficiency projects while at the same time ensuring that
13 mission-critical capital projects are not delayed. Pursuing all cost-ef-
14 fective energy efficiency in New York state schools will require that
15 many more projects will need to be approved annually than have ever been
16 in the past. A streamlined, transparent, and efficient review and
17 approval process is a necessary component of an increased effort to
18 promote energy efficiency projects in schools.
19 § 2. School energy efficiency program. 1. Establishment. There is
20 hereby established the school energy efficiency program. Under this
21 program, the department shall construct a proposal to streamline the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05775-03-6
A. 5976--A 2
1 approval process for eligible entities pursuing the installation of
2 energy efficiency projects.
3 2. Proposal requirements. The department through this program shall:
4 a. demonstrate how energy efficiency project approval requests will be
5 processed separately from all other capital improvement applications;
6 b. set a specific date for when the streamlined approval process shall
7 be in place; and
8 c. determine if any legislative action is necessary to make the
9 streamlined approval process operational.
10 3. Report. The department shall report its findings, conclusions and
11 recommendations to the governor, majority leader of the senate and the
12 speaker of the assembly by January 1, 2018.
13 4. Definitions. For purposes of this program the following terms shall
14 have the following meanings:
15 a. "Department" shall mean the New York state education department.
16 b. "Eligible entity" shall mean any public elementary or secondary
17 school located in New York state.
18 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
