What's happening
This bill requires electric companies to notify local officials of impending electrical emergencies, and for municipalities to inform the public through media.
Why it matters
Improves local emergency preparedness. by ensuring that municipal leaders receive advance notice of possible electrical emergencies, giving them more time to coordinate response efforts and protect residents.
Increases transparency and public awareness. by explicitly requiring municipalities to notify the public through multiple media channels (electronic, print, internet), which can help prevent confusion and allow people to take precautions.
Mandates state oversight and input. by requiring the Public Service Commission, with the Attorney General, to develop detailed rules—incorporating feedback from both electric companies and municipal officials—so that notification protocols are practical, consistent, and responsive to local needs.
Customizes response protocols. to the scale and severity of emergencies, aiming to ensure that both notification and public warnings are appropriate to the specific risks involved, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Warn Residents of Power Emergencies
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5038
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 6, 2017
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to providing for the notification of impending emergencies by electric corporations
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 54 to read as follows:
§ 54. Notification of impending emergencies. 1. Every electric corporation shall notify the chief executive officer of a municipality or the designated agency head or department head of a municipality when there is an impending electrical emergency that may affect the municipality. Each municipality notified of a pending electrical emergency shall provide appropriate notice and information to designated media outlets, including but not limited to electronic, print, internet or other designated public media outlets serving such affected municipality.
2. (a) The commission, in conjunction with the attorney general, shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to enforce the provisions of this section. The commission shall solicit input from electric corporations and municipal officials in the process of formulating such rules and regulations.
(b) Such rules and regulations shall include but not be limited to establishing protocols which address the magnitude and severity of the impending emergency, as well as protocols for notification of the public.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08322-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to providing for the notification of impending emergencies by electric corporations
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill provides notification of impending emergencies by electrical utility corporations to affected communities.
Summary of specific provisions
This bill would mandate all electrical utility corporations to notify the chief executive officer of a municipality or the designated agency head or department head of a municipality when there is an impending electrical emergency that may affect the municipality. Each municipality notified of a pending electrical emergency shall provide appropriate notice and information to designated media outlets.
The public service commission, with the attorney general, shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to enforce the provisions of section one. The commission shall solicit input from electric corporations and municipal officials in the process of formulating such rules and regulations.
Such rules and regulations shall include but not limited to establishing protocols which address the magnitude and severity of the impending emergency, as well as protocol's for notification of the public. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day.
Justification
During the recent power outage in New York City, Con Edison failed to notify customers of the impending blackout, which occurred on July 6, 1999, nor were any efforts made to reach a broad number of people through the media. This bill, when enacted would require the utility corporations to do so in the future.
Prior legislative history
2001-02: A.7085 - Referred to Corporations, Authorities & Commissions 2003-04: A.5268 - Referred to Corporations, Authorities & Commissions 2005-06: A.4104 - Referred to Corporations, Authorities & Commissions 2007-08: A.4578 - Referred to Corporations, Authorities & Commissions 2009-10: S.5057B - Referred to Corporations, Authorities & Commissions 2011-12: S.1773 - Referred to Energy and Telecommunications 2013-14: S.1536 - Referred to Energy and Telecommunications 2013-14: S.3873 - Referred to Energy and Telecommunications
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
Effective date
This act shall take effect 180 days after becoming a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.