What's happening
This bill amends notification requirements for Long Island Power Authority transmission projects, clarifying definitions and public notice procedures for affected parties.
Why it matters
Clarifies what qualifies as a “utility transmission facility,”. specifying only above-ground electric lines operating at 65 kilovolts or higher are covered—excluding in-kind replacements and underground lines. This helps residents and municipalities better understand which projects require notification.
Ensures earlier and more transparent public notice. by requiring notice to be given before the environmental significance of a project is determined, allowing for meaningful public input at an earlier stage in the process.
Expands and clarifies the required information in public notices,. including a summary of all environmental impact studies (not just completed assessments), explanations of the need for the facility, and detailed comparisons of alternative locations, which supports more informed community responses.
Specifies who must receive notice,. including local government leaders, affected state legislators, and all “authority customers” (utility customers) within 500 feet of the proposed project—potentially increasing awareness and input from those most directly impacted.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Public Notice for Power Lines
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.201
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading cal.65
- Substituted for A4311
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.42
- Referred to rules
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.
Require Notice for Power Lines
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2040
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 18, 2019
Introduced by Sen. LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to public notice before approval of utility transmission facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 1020-ii of the public authorities law, as added by a chapter of the laws of 2018 amending the public authorities law relating to requiring the Long Island Power Authority to provide public notice for the construction of utility transmission facilities, as proposed in legislative bill numbers S.6861-A and A.8609-A, is amended to read as follows:
§ 1020-ii. Public notice before approval of utility transmission facilities. 1. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) "municipality" means a county, city, town or village in the service area;
(b) "utility transmission facility" means any electric transmission line operating at sixty-five kilovolts or higher in the service area, including associated equipment. It shall not include any transmission line which is an in-kind replacement or which is located wholly underground. This section also shall not apply to any major utility transmission facility subject to the jurisdiction of article seven of the public service law; and
(c) "[utility] authority customer" means the customer of record located within five hundred feet of a proposed utility transmission facility.
2. The authority shall not construct any utility transmission facility without first providing public notice as provided by this subdivision. Such public notice shall be provided by the authority before the environmental significance of such action is determined by the authority,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07036-01-9
S. 2040 2
pursuant to article eight of the environmental conservation law. The public notice shall provide the following information:
(a) the location of the site or right-of-way;
(b) a description of the transmission facility to be built thereon;
(c) [the environmental assessment or environmental impact statement prepared for the action, pursuant to article eight of the environmental conservation law;
(d)] a summary of any studies including an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement pursuant to article eight of the environmental conservation law which have been made of the environmental impact of the project, and a description of such studies;
[(e)] (d) a statement explaining the need for the facility;
[(f)] (e) a description of any reasonable alternate location or locations assessed for the proposed facility;
[(g)] (f) a description of the comparative merits and detriments of each location submitted; and
[(h)] (g) a statement of the reasons why the primary proposed location is best suited for the facility.
[Copies] When completed, copies of the environmental assessment form, environmental impact statement and studies referred to in the notice shall be filed with the authority and shall be available for public inspection.
3. Notice shall be provided by first class mail to:
(a) each municipality in which any portion of such facility is to be located, both as primarily proposed and in the alternative locations listed. Notice to a municipality shall be addressed to the chief executive officer thereof;
(b) each member of the legislature through whose district the utility transmission facility or any alternate proposed [in the application] would pass; and
(c) each [utility] authority customer.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2018 amending the public authorities law relating to requiring the Long Island Power Authority to provide public notice for the construction of utility transmission facilities, as proposed in legislative bill numbers S.6861-A and A.8609-A, takes effect.
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 authorities law, in relation to public notice before approval of utility transmission facilities
Purpose
This is a chapter amendment that makes changes to provisions of L.2018, c.520, to clarify provisions relating to prodding information on the construction of utility transmission facilities
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the chapter amendment conforms the kilovolt threshold for utility transmission facilities more closely to existing regulations, makes several technical amendments, and clarifies that environmental impact summaries can be provided to affected utility customers and elected officials in the notice.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Existing law
Section 1020-ii of the public authorities law was added to create a new notice provision for installation of utility transmission facilities, to ensure that affected elected officials and ratepayers receive adequate notice of new above-ground transmission lines being installed.
Justification
Concerns were raised that the original bill needed several technical amendments to clarify the law, and the language was also modified to use an existing regulatory standard for which transmission facilities would be subject to the notice provision. Finally, the revised notice provision allows LIPA/PSEG to send out summaries rather than entire environmental documentation to affected elected officials and ratepay- ers, so long as the additional required details are provided in the notice distributed. LIPA/PSEG posts full environmental assessments on its website and the documents will be available for public review.
Legislative history
Chapter amendment to Chapter 520 of the Laws of 2018. S.6861-A and A.8609-A passed both the Senate and Assembly in June of 2018.
Fiscal implications
Unknown
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2018, amending the public authorities law relat- ing to requiring the Long Island Power Authority to provide public notice for the construction of utility transmission facilities, as proposed in legislative bill numbers S. 6861-A and A.8609-A, takes effect.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.