Directs the public service commission to study the feasibility and the costs of burying all or most of the electrical, telephone and internet transmission lines in New York state and to publish and deliver a report of its findings to the governor and the legislature, and requires new electrical, telephone and internet transmission lines to be buried underground.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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8931--A
IN SENATE
August 21, 2020
___________
Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, MAYER -- read twice and ordered printed, and
when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to directing the
public service commission study the feasibility and the costs of bury-
ing all or most of the electrical, telephone and internet transmission
lines in New York state and to publish and deliver a report of its
findings to the governor and the legislature, and requiring new elec-
trical, telephone and internet transmission lines to be buried under-
ground
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding two new
2 sections 119-d and 119-e to read as follows:
3 § 119-d. Buried line study. 1. The commission shall conduct a study to
4 analyze the feasibility and the costs of burying underground all or most
5 of the existing electrical, telephone and internet transmission lines in
6 New York state. Such study shall include an analysis of:
7 (a) the economic and environmental benefits from burying such existing
8 lines; and
9 (b) the economic cost burden of doing so, if any, including an esti-
10 mate of what the cost per utility customer would be, the number of jobs
11 to be created to complete the project and a timeline for completion of
12 the project.
13 2. In analyzing costs and benefits for the purposes of this study, the
14 commission shall consider the varying geographical areas of the state
15 and report separately on the impact particular areas might have on the
16 project. The study shall also quantify the economic costs and benefits
17 of burying existing electrical, telephone and internet transmission
18 lines to utility customers and shall disaggregate the results by utili-
19 ty. The study shall calculate the cost per customer of the entire cost
20 of project statewide, regardless of where the customer lives, for the
21 life of the project on a monthly basis.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD17082-03-0
S. 8931--A 2
1 3. Within one hundred eighty days of the effective date of this
2 section, the commission shall:
3 (a) publish the report of its findings on its website in a location
4 accessible to the public; and
5 (b) deliver a copy of the report to the governor, the temporary presi-
6 dent of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the senate
7 energy and telecommunications committee and the chair of the assembly
8 energy committee.
9 § 119-e. Buried lines. 1. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation
10 to the contrary, to the greatest extent possible, all new electrical,
11 telephone and internet transmission lines installed in the state shall
12 be buried underground.
13 2. The provisions of this section shall apply to electrical, telephone
14 and internet transmission lines for which preliminary permits are issued
15 on and after the effective date of this section.
16 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.