Enacts the "Thruway to Fuelway" act

BILL NUMBER:S2699

Title of bill

An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to enacting the "Thruway to Fuelway act"

Purpose or general idea of bill

This bill will create a pilot program for bio-fuel production in the thruway's rights-of-way.

Summary of specific provisions

This bill would amend the public authorities law by adding a new section 359-b of such law, and by amending section 377 of the public authorities law by adding a new subdivision 2.

Subdivision 1 of sec. 359-b creates a two-year pilot program to determine the fiscal feasibility of bio-fuel production in the thruway's rights of way

Subdivision 2 of sec. 377 extends the thruway's existing authority to provide fuel to vehicles from other instrumentalities of the state to include bio-fuels and other alternative fuels.

Section 5 of the bill authorizes and requires the Thruway Authority to expend up to $1,000,000 on the pilot program.

This act shall take effect immediately.

Justification

Highway rights-of-way require extensive and often expensive maintenance. In the case of the 6,000 miles of highway in the state of Utah, the annual cost fox tending of the median strips currently planted in ground cover, erosion control and flowering native plants - is approximately $18 million. Similarly, Ohio spends approximately $17 million mowing the median strips of its highway rights-of-way. Like its sister states, New York spends large sums of money to maintain the median strips of its highways, the most important of which is the New York State Thruway.

The New York State Thruway (Thruway) has 1,140 miles of median strips, which are as wide as one quarter of a mile in sections. To maintain a safe roadway, the Thruway Authority, which administers the Thruway in the public interest, is required to mow or otherwise tend such vegetation at a substantial annual cost. With expert input from the State's cooperative extension service, it would be possible to replace the existing plantings with bio-fuel crops, some of which are natively grown in New York, turning the annual median maintenance expenses into investment in a locally grown fuel source. Such an investment is consistent with the State's goal of reducing carbon emissions, and with the important agricultural policy of avoiding replacing farm acreage devoted to food, with acreage devoted to fuel, which raises the costs of living for New York working families.

New York state agencies, authorities and other government entities annually use countless gallons of diesel fuel, the majority of which is imported from other countries, and is subject to the uncontrollable fluctuations of the world crude oil market. However, bio-diesel, which can be produced from plants natively grown in New York, can be utilized in standard diesel engines without modification. The use of such bio-diesel in the State's vehicle fleet would lower emissions, increase diversity of fuel sources, and generally improve New York's energy security and economy.

Prior legislative history

None.

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately after passage of bill.