Relates to creating a sustainable energy loan program in the county of Nassau to promote energy efficiency among residents and businesses within the county of Nassau.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7199
IN SENATE
March 22, 2010
___________
Introduced by Sen. FUSCHILLO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT in relation to creating a sustainable energy loan program in the
county of Nassau
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative intent. (a) It is the intent of the county of
2 Nassau to promote energy efficiency among residents and businesses with-
3 in the county, including the promotion of energy efficiency improvements
4 and the utilization of renewable energy sources in existing buildings
5 within the county.
6 (b) In order to address the issue of global climate change and green-
7 house gas emissions in the county of Nassau, the county has embarked
8 upon an effort to reduce energy demand from existing buildings so as to
9 have the county of Nassau meet statewide energy efficient goals. In
10 order to assist residents and businesses in the county of Nassau make
11 energy efficiency improvements more affordable and to promote the
12 installation and utilization of such improvements, it is necessary to
13 set forth a mechanism to finance the cost of such energy efficiency
14 improvements.
15 (c) Pursuant thereto, this legislation will help lower energy costs,
16 reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make energy efficiency and renewable
17 energy improvements more affordable by offering a sustainable energy
18 loan program to assist homeowners and businesses within the county of
19 Nassau in the installation of distributed generation renewable energy
20 sources or energy efficiency improvements. Such loans to be offered by
21 the county shall be repaid over a period of time through an annual
22 assessment on the property of the borrower.
23 § 2. County of Nassau sustainable energy loan program. 1. Definitions.
24 For the purposes of this act, the following terms shall have the follow-
25 ing meanings:
26 (a) "Distributed generation" shall mean the generation of energy close
27 to the point of use.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16524-01-0
S. 7199 2
1 (b) "Renewable energy source" shall mean solar, wind, photovoltaics,
2 tidal, geothermal, fuel cell technologies and low-impact, run-of-river
3 hydroelectric electric generating equipment with capacity up to thirty
4 megawatts with no new storage impoundment.
5 (c) "Energy efficiency improvement" shall mean a material improvement
6 made to an existing residential or business property that reduces energy
7 consumption, including but not limited to caulking, weatherstripping,
8 air sealing, insulation, heating and cooling systems upgrades, solar
9 thermal systems and conservation measures, in a cost-effective manner as
10 determined by the county, provided, however, that "energy efficiency
11 improvement" does not include a household appliance, such as a washing
12 machine or refrigerator, that is not permanently fixed to real property.
13 2. Sustainable energy loan program. (a) The county of Nassau at its
14 discretion shall offer a sustainable energy loan to homeowners, busi-
15 nesses and not-for-profit organizations for the financing of the instal-
16 lation of distributed generation renewable energy sources and/or energy
17 efficiency improvements that will be permanently affixed to the property
18 of the borrower.
19 (b) The county of Nassau is authorized to use monies made available
20 for the program from federal grants and state and county issued bonds
21 that may be used for this purpose, to implement the sustainable energy
22 loan program.
23 (c) Such loans shall only be available to owners of improved residen-
24 tial and commercial properties that are undergoing capital improvements
25 or upgrades.
26 (d) The loans issued by the county pursuant to this program, shall be
27 repaid by the borrower through an assessment levied by the county on the
28 real property where the sustainable energy loan was applied. Such
29 assessment shall be included annually within the county real property
30 tax bill which is transmitted to the borrower until repaid in full.
31 (e) The aggregate amount of each sustainable energy loan provided by
32 the county of Nassau shall not exceed the actual cost of the equipment
33 and materials necessary for the installation of distributed generation
34 renewable energy sources or energy efficiency improvements, including
35 the installation costs of such equipment.
36 (f) Assessments levied pursuant to this section, including any inter-
37 est and penalties, shall constitute a lien upon the parcel of real prop-
38 erty for which the loan is made.
39 3. Necessity. The county legislature of the county of Nassau declares
40 that this legislation is necessary for the immediate protection of the
41 public interest and for the implementation of the energy efficiency and
42 greenhouse gas reduction plans of the county legislature and the state
43 of New York.
44 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
