This bill establishes a program to help school districts and eligible public buildings (like housing or hospitals) with structures over 20,000 square feet reduce energy costs through mechanical insulation upgrades. It requires free, qualified energy audits to identify needed insulation work and provides competitive grants covering 50% to 75% of approved insulation costs for HVAC systems, piping, and equipment. Grants are issued on a first-come basis after an approved audit, with the program to be implemented within one year of enactment. The law defines specific requirements for qualified contractors and insulation standards to ensure energy savings.
Requires contractors and subcontractors performing construction work for covered renewable energy systems to have apprenticeship agreements; relates to the effectiveness of provisions of law related thereto.
This bill requires energy services companies (ESCOs) to include clear, side-by-side price comparisons on customer bills. It mandates that each bill show the ESCO’s price for energy supply and delivery service compared to what the customer would pay if using their local utility or municipality, plus an itemized list of any extra energy products. Annual statements must also show whether the customer is saving money or paying more with the ESCO versus the local utility. These requirements apply to residential and small non-residential customers, and ESCOs must cover all compliance costs without passing them to customers.
Establishes the climate corporate data accountability act requiring certain business entities within the state to annually disclose scope 1, scope 2 and scope 3 emissions; establishes the climate accountability and emissions disclosure fund.
Directs the state fire prevention and building code council to update the state fire prevention and building code and the state energy conservation construction code within 18 months of the publication of any updated or revised edition of the international and national codes relating thereto, so as to ensure that the state's codes reflect such revisions and updates.
Requires certain watercraft, aircrafts, and trains to use clean energy, including ensuring such vehicles are zero-emissions; requires NYSERDA to study zero-emission commercial vehicles, the use of renewable energy in publicly funded airports, and the use of sustainable aviation fuel; requires NYSERDA to administer a grant program to flying schools and clubs that install charging infrastructure.
Provides an exemption from requirements for the alienation of parkland for renewable energy generating projects with a generating capacity not exceeding two megawatts and which are located above real property currently used for vehicle parking.
Establishes the agrivoltaics viability pilot program to provide grants to identify the best practices and strategies for agrivoltaics and dual-use solar energy projects that protect soil health during construction and decommissioning of solar arrays, utilize sustainable agricultural production practices, monitor any benefits solar energy may have on farms and to the state, track economic viability, study the commercialization of dual-use solar energy projects, and encourage equitable engagement of stakeholders.
Requires the New York state energy research and development authority conduct a study on independent neighborhoods and homes in municipalities constructing micro-grids to study the feasibility, efficiency, and energy saving costs if such micro-grids were constructed.
Creates a small business renewable tax credit; provides the term "business related renewable energy usage" shall refer to renewable power usage used to further the economic activity of the taxpayer at the primary business location that is clearly delimited from any shared renewable energy power usage cost.
