What's happening
This bill creates the "New York Microgrids Act," establishing a grant program to promote local energy microgrids, especially in vulnerable and underserved communities.
Why it matters
Targets energy vulnerability and equity. The bill prioritizes grants for communities with high energy costs, previous outage histories, low-income populations, rural areas, and regions suffering from grid instability—potentially reducing energy disparities and improving reliability for those who most need it.
Encourages local, resilient energy solutions. By supporting microgrid development, the act aims to reduce dependence on the main grid, which can enhance community resilience during storms, blackouts, or other disruptions, and help lower long-term energy costs.
Promotes clean energy and climate goals. The act explicitly seeks to increase reliance on renewable energy within microgrids, aligning with broader state efforts to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Emphasizes community involvement. The grant program requires partnerships with constituency-based organizations to connect residents to the program and increase participation, ensuring that local voices and needs shape the implementation of microgrid projects.
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Fund Community Microgrid Grants
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
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History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to energy
- Referred to energy
Companion bill
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Fund Community Microgrids
In Senate Committee · Finance · Sponsor Jesse Hamilton
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8212
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
June 2, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Energy
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to enacting the "New York microgrids act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Article 8 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a new title 9-B to read as follows:
TITLE 9-B
NEW YORK MICROGRIDS ACT
Section 1900. Short title.
1901. Definitions.
1902. Purposes.
1903. Microgrids of New York grant program.
§ 1900. Short title. This title shall be known and may be cited as the "New York microgrids act".
§ 1901. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
1. "Authority" means the New York state energy research and development authority continued pursuant to section eighteen hundred fifty-two of this article.
2. "Energy insecure regions" means areas of the state that have experienced increased electricity outages due to grid instability, capacity constraints, distribution and transmission line issues.
3. "Program" means the microgrids of New York grant program established pursuant to section nineteen hundred three of this title.
4. "Rural areas" shall have the same meaning as is ascribed to such term pursuant to subdivision seven of section four hundred eighty-one of the executive law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09837-03-7
A. 8212 2
5. "Low-income community" means a census block group, or contiguous area with multiple census block groups, having a low-income population equal to or greater than 23.59 percent of the total population of such block group or groups, or such other percentage as may be determined by the New York state department of environmental conservation.
§ 1902. Purposes. The purposes of this title are to:
1. promote long term reduction of energy costs;
2. reduce the capacity demand for the market by drawing less energy from the original grid;
3. stabilize energy costs;
4. enhance the reliability of energy sources;
5. increase energy independence throughout the state; and
6. promote reliance on renewable energy sources to help mitigate climate change and achieve the state's energy use reduction goals.
§ 1903. Microgrids of New York grant program. 1. The authority shall establish and operate the microgrids of New York grant program. Such program shall be implemented by the authority, in consultation with the department of public service, the power authority of the state of New York, the Long Island power authority and the department of environmental conservation. In furtherance thereof, the authority shall:
(a) use monies made available for the purposes of this title and the program;
(b) enter into contracts with constituency based organizations and other entities through the competitive grant process established pursuant to subdivision two of this section;
(c) enter into contracts with one or more program implementers to perform such functions as the authority deems appropriate; and
(d) exercise such other powers as are necessary for the proper implementation of this title.
2. The authority shall:
(a) issue one or more program opportunity notices or requests for proposals to solicit applications from partnerships comprised of constituency based organizations, which can connect community members to the program, including facilitating awareness of the program and enrollment therein;
(b) award grants of not more than one hundred fifty thousand dollars to each approved applicant;
(c) with regard to awarding such grants, give preference to:
(i) communities in areas of the state where energy costs are a particularly high percentage of a community's median household income as determined by the authority;
(ii) communities that would benefit from energy resiliency provided by a microgrid, as demonstrated by prior outage history due to weather or other causes;
(iii) low income communities;
(iv) energy insecure regions; and
(v) rural areas.
3. The authority is authorized in consultation with the department of public service, the power authority of the state of New York, the Long Island power authority and the department of environmental conservation, to promulgate such rules and regulations as shall be necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
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