Relates to requiring liquid petroleum pipeline facilities to accelerate the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of equipment or pipelines that are leaking or at a high-risk of leaking

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1 amends the public service law by adding a new section 63-gg called Pipeline modernization and consumer protection.

Part 1 establishes the definition of "gas pipeline facility", which is a distribution facility and gas utility.

Part 2 establishes that each operator of a gas pipeline facility will, accelerate the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of gas piping or equipment that is: (a) leaking; or (b) may pose high risks of leaking or may no longer be fit for service, because of: (i) inferior materials, (ii) poor construction practices, (iii)lack of maintenance, or (iv) age.

Part 3 establishes that in complying with subdivision two of this section, the commission shall: (a) develop prioritized timeliness to repair all leaks based on the severity of the leak; (b) adopt a cost-recovery program; (c) adopt a standard definition and methodology for calculating and reporting unaccounted for gas to improve data quality; (d) adopt limits on cost recovery for the lost and unaccounted for gas; and (e)require the use Of the best available technology to detect gas leaks.

Part 4 establishes that the New York State energy research and development authority will issue non binding guidelines to identify the best practices for classifying high-risk pipeline infrastructure and leaks for repair or replacement. This will take place no later than one year after the effective date.

Part 5 establishes that the New York State energy research and development authority and the commission, no later than a year after the effective date, will create and publish forms that adopt a

standard definition and methodology for calculating and reporting unaccounted for gas.

Part 6 establishes that operators of gas pipeline facilities in cities with a population of one million or more shall establish a database of pipeline infrastructure that will be shared with the coordinated building inspection data analysis.

Justification

Federal requirements related to repairing pipeline leaks are limited to hazardous leaks, which are leaks that represent an existing or probable hazard to persons or property and require immediate repair. There are no Federal requirements to address slower or less hazardous leaks, which can allow the leaks to persist unrepaired indefinitely.

According to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the United States natural gas distribution system still includes 61,000 miles of bare steel pipe without adequate corrosion protection and 32,000 miles of cast iron pipe, which was installed beginning in the 1830s and can be prone to failure. Major repent pipeline explosions that led to human fatalities occurred in: Austin, Texas; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Allentown, Pennsylvania. These explosions were the result of aging, leaking, and high-risk pipeline infrastructure.

This bill will help create a higher standard of safety in terms of pipeline infrastructure, and will lower the cost of the rate that consumers have to pay for lost and unaccounted for gas. This bill will also help to improve the environment by limiting the amount of natural gas that leaks out of faulty pipelines.

Prior legislative history

New bill.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.