What's happening
This bill requires gas pipeline operators to accelerate repairs and replacements of leaking or high-risk equipment, improve leak detection, and standardize reporting of unaccounted-for gas.
Why it matters
Reduces methane emissions and environmental harm. By accelerating repairs and replacements of leaking or high-risk gas pipelines, the bill aims to curb methane leaks—a potent greenhouse gas—thus contributing to climate goals and improving air quality.
Improves public safety and infrastructure reliability. Mandating prioritized timelines for addressing all leaks, including non-hazardous ones, lowers the risk of explosions, fires, and service outages, providing safer neighborhoods and more dependable energy service.
Shields consumers from hidden costs. By capping cost recovery for lost and unaccounted-for gas and requiring better reporting, the bill prevents utilities from passing inefficiency costs onto ratepayers, potentially lowering consumer bills and increasing transparency.
Requires modern leak detection and data transparency. Standardizing definitions and reporting practices, mandating the use of best available leak detection technology, and requiring large cities to maintain a public database of pipeline conditions all foster greater oversight, public accountability, and data-driven policy decisions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Fix Leaky Gas Pipelines
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
11 Co-sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to energy
- Referred to energy
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.
Fix Leaky Pipelines Faster
In Senate Committee · Energy And Telecommunications · Sponsor Brad Hoylman-Sigal
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2364
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. RODRIGUEZ, ARROYO, BLAKE, BUCHWALD, COLTON, COOK, GLICK, MOSLEY, RA, PERRY, PEOPLES-STOKES, PICHARDO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GOTTFRIED, McDONOUGH -- read once and referred to the Committee on Energy
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation 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
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 63-gg to read as follows:
§ 63-gg. Pipeline modernization and consumer protection. 1. Definition. As used in this section, the following term shall have the following meaning:
"Gas pipeline facility" means (a) a distribution facility, and (b) a gas utility.
2. Each operator of a gas pipeline facility shall 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.
3. In complying with subdivision two of this section, the commission shall: (a) develop prioritized timelines to repair all leaks based on the severity of the leak, including non-hazardous leaks, or replace identified leaking or high-risk piping or equipment, including leaks identified as part of an integrity management plan developed under this section if applicable;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04063-01-9
A. 2364 2
(b) adopt a cost-recovery program that includes (i) replacement plans with targets and benchmarks for leaking or high-risk infrastructure replacement, (ii) consideration of the economic, safety, and environmental benefits of reduced gas leakage, including consideration of reduced operation and maintenance costs and reduced costs attributable to lost or unaccounted-for natural gas, and (iii) reporting on the reductions in lost or unaccounted-for gas as a result of pipeline replacements;
(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 use of best available technology to detect gas leaks.
4. No later than one year after the effective date of this section, the New York state energy research and development authority shall, after notice and opportunity to comment, issue non-binding guidelines identifying best practices for identifying and classifying high-risk pipeline infrastructure and leaks for repair or replacement.
5. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no later than one year after the effective date of this section, the New York state energy research and development authority and the commission shall work jointly to establish and publish forms that adopt a standard definition and methodology for calculating and reporting unaccounted-for gas, including, when possible, information on the causes of unaccounted-for gas and the quantities associated with each cause, for use by applicable state agencies to standardize the data collected on unaccounted-for gas.
6. Operators of gas pipeline facilities in cities with a population of one million or more shall establish a database of pipeline infrastructure that includes its age and state of repair and shall share this information with the coordinated building inspection data analysis system.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.