What's happening
The bill creates the "New York Microgrids Act," establishing a grant program to support microgrid development, especially in high-need communities.
Why it matters
Targets Communities Most in Need. The bill prioritizes grants for areas with high energy costs relative to household income, communities with frequent or severe electricity outages, low-income neighborhoods, energy-insecure regions, and rural areas, aiming to address energy inequities across New York.
Promotes Local Control & Resilience. By supporting microgrid development, the program empowers local communities and organizations to build independent, resilient energy systems that can operate even when the main grid fails, reducing vulnerability to blackouts from storms or other disruptions.
Advances Renewable Energy and Climate Goals. The initiative is designed to encourage use of renewable energy sources within microgrids, helping New York reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stabilize long-term energy costs, and progress toward its climate action and energy independence targets.
Community Engagement Required. Grants must involve partnerships with constituency-based organizations, ensuring that local voices and expertise guide project development, enhance program awareness, and foster community buy-in for new energy infrastructure.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Fund Community Microgrids
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 14
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5114
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
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.
5. "Low-income community" means a census block group, or contiguous area with multiple census block groups, having a low-income population
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11135-01-9
S. 5114 2
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.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to enacting the "New York microgrids act"
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to enact the New York Microgrids Act to promote and provide grants to build microgrids.
Summary of provisions
Section 1901(1) defines 'Authority' as the New York state energy research and development authority.
Section 1901(2) defines 'energy insecure regions' as areas of the state that have experienced increased electricity outages due to grid insta- bility and transmission line issues.
Section 1901(3) defines 'Authority' as the microgrids of NY grant program established by this act.
Section 1901(3) defines 'Energy insecure Regions' as the microgrids of NY grant program established by this act.
Section 1901(3) defines 'program' as the microgrids of NY grant program established by this act.
Section 1901(4) defines 'rural areas' as the microgrids of NY grant program established by this act.
Section 1901(3) defines 'low-income' as the microgrids of NY grant program established by this act.
Section 1902. The purposes of the act are to promote reduced energy costs, reduce capacity demand, stabilize energy costs, enhance energy reliability, increase energy independence, and to promote reliance on renewable energy sources to help mitigate climate change.
Section 1903 directs the authority to establish a microgrids of NY grant program. Section 1903 also directs the authority to solicit applications and facilitate awareness. In addition, the authority shall award grants of $150,000 to approved applicants.
Preference should be given to communities in areas where energy costs are particularly high in relation to a measure of its median household income, rural areas, energy insecure regions, and low-income munici- palities. Finally, the authority, in consultation with the department of public service, the power authority of NY, the Long Island power author- ity, and the department of environmental conservation to promulgate rules and regulations.
Justification
Microgrids are an increasingly important aspect of energy generation in New York State. The current electrical grid is aging out and increased demand poses the risk of it being overrun. Microgrids are a group of interconnected electrical loads and distributed energy resources within clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid. Any excess power they produce could be stored or sold back to the original grid to help offset the overall cost and demand of power.
Microgrids are just like the current power grid but as a scaled down version. Typically, microgrids are engineered around renewable energy sources. An example of the benefit of microgrids can be seen in towns like Nassau, NY. Nassau is creating their own microgrids to protect themselves from increased power costs while also returning excess power back to the original grid. Examples of microgrid benefits are: they highlight the value of renewable energy sources; they protect the indi- vidual power user from high/fluctuating power cost; they protect consum- ers from power outages; and they can return power back to the grid to lower individual bills.
Prior legislative history
Senate Bill 4490 of 2017-18.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.