What's happening
Writing a plain-English summary… Track this bill to get it by email.
Why it matters
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Sponsors
17 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to transportation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Authorizes the lease of lands adjacent to state, public authority and local highways for operation of wind or solar electric generating systems
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Martin Malavé Dilan
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:A10243
Title of bill
An act to amend the highway law, in relation to author- izing the leasing of land adjacent to state and local highways for the purpose of the construction and operation of solar and wind electric generating systems; and to amend the public authorities law, in relation to granting such authorization to the metropolitan transportation authority
Purpose
To authorize the lease of lands adjacent to state and county highways for operation of wind or solar electric generating systems.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends Section 10 of the highway law by adding a new subdivision 38-a.
Section 2 amends Section 102 of the highway law by adding a new subdivi- sion 19.
Section 3 amends Section 140 of the highway law by adding a new subdivi- sion 20.
Justification
This legislation will help to spur economic opportu- nities in alternative energy as well as energy independence by creating a mechanism for the leasing of lands adjacent to state and county high- ways for operation of wind or solar electric generating systems.
Other states have already pioneered the use of highway right of ways for siting alternative solar energy generating systems. In 2008, the State of Oregon installed the country's first solar project in a highway right of way. The project consists of a 104 kW solar photovoltaic system that covers 8,000 square feet- roughly the length of two football fields- and produces 112,000 kWh each year. The solar panels produce electricity during the day, giving the power to the PGE grid, and getting the equiv- alent amount of power back at night from PGE to power lighting on the highway. Electricity for the highway interchange is provided by PGE and the added solar power is handled through a net metering arrangement A live monitoring log is at: http://www.live.declunonitoring.com/?id=solarhighway
Sacramento Municipal Utility District in California will also be build- ing solar arrays along state highways, starting with a 1.5-megawatt project along Highway 50. This solar highway project received S5 million in federal funding in January 2010, authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
New technologies also exist for solar panels that double as sound walls reducing highway noise near residential neighborhoods. Solar sound bath- ers are in used in Switzerland, Germany and Australia.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
No fiscal implications.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.