What's happening
This bill amends rules on how much St. Lawrence County economic development power the New York Power Authority can use to generate earnings and clarifies authority-TMED contract terms.
Why it matters
Removes a scheduled reduction in how much St. Lawrence County economic development power the New York Power Authority (NYPA) can use for generating revenue. , which preserves the current, higher limit (up to 20 megawatts rather than dropping to 10). This could mean more funds available for local economic development projects and related expenses.
Expands the definition of what counts as unallocated power. by including power directly allocated to qualified applicants under the authority-TMED contract, not just those sub-allocated, potentially allowing NYPA more flexibility in managing and distributing power for economic development.
Clarifies and extends contract terms between NYPA and the Town of Massena Electric Department (TMED). , making clear that future extensions or successor contracts/tariffs (up to 2040) are covered, which may provide greater stability and predictability for local stakeholders who depend on these contracts for economic development.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Adjust Economic Power Limits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to energy
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1527
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
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.
Change Power Earnings Rules
In Assembly Committee · Energy · Sponsor Scott Gray
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1357
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2025
Introduced by Sen. STEC -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to the amount of St. Lawrence county economic development power that may be used by the New York Power Authority to generate net earnings; and to amend the economic development law, in relation to authority-TMED contracts
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 24 of section 1005 of the public authorities law, as added by chapter 545 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
(c) The authority shall establish an account to be known as the northern New York economic development fund, which shall consist solely of net earnings. The authority, as determined to be feasible and advisable by the trustees, shall deposit net earnings into the fund no less than quarterly, provided, however, that the amount of St. Lawrence county economic development power that may be used by the authority to generate net earnings shall not exceed the lesser of twenty megawatts or the amount of St. Lawrence county economic development power that has not been allocated by the authority under the authority-TMED contract for sub-allocations, [and provided further that beginning five years from the effective date of this subdivision, the amount of St. Lawrence county economic development power that may be used by the authority to generate net earnings shall not exceed the lesser of ten megawatts or the amount of St. Lawrence county economic development power that has not been allocated by the authority under the authority-TMED contract for sub-allocations] or directly allocated by the authority to one or more qualified applicants under the authority-TMED contract. At least fifteen percent of net earnings paid into the fund shall be dedicated to eligible projects which are energy-related projects, programs and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00054-01-5
services as such term is defined in subparagraph two of paragraph (b) of subdivision seventeen of this section. In addition to funding eligible projects, the authority may use northern New York economic development fund monies to cover reasonable costs and expenses of the authority related to the management and administration of the northern New York power proceeds allocation program created by article seven-A of the economic development law.
§ 2. Subdivision 2 of section 197-a of the economic development law, as added by chapter 545 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
2. "Authority-TMED contract" refers to a certain contract between the authority and the town of Massena electric department, entitled "Agreement Governing the Sale of St. Lawrence-FDR Project Power and Energy to the Town of Massena Electric Department for Economic Development Purposes," executed and dated by the authority on October eighteenth, two thousand twelve, and the associated authority service tariff issued and effective August twenty-first, two thousand twelve, and any extension or successor tariff and contract, described as such in such extension or successor tariff and contract, that expires on or before two thousand forty.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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 the amount of St. Lawrence county economic development power that may be used by the New York Power Authority to generate net earnings; and to amend the economic development law, in relation to authority-TMED contracts
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to extend the program funded by the sale of certain unallocated hydropower produced by the Power Authority of the State of New York (NYPA) at its St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project to support economic development in St. Lawrence County.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 - Amends the Public Authorities Law to removes from statute the reduction to ten megawatts that is eligible for monetization for economic development purposes in St. Lawrence County, which sunset after 5 years
Section 2 - Amends the Economic Development Law to permit an extension of an existing contract
Section 3 - marks the effective date.
Justification
In 2014, per an agreement between the county of St. Lawrence, the Gover- nor of the state of New York and the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the Legislature passed and the governor signed into law the Northern New York Power Proceeds Allocation Act. The program was based on the previ- ously enacted Western New York Power Proceeds Allocation Act.
The program was created to support eligible economic development projects located or proposed to be located in St. Lawrence County by eligible applicants. The program is funded by the sale of certain unal- located hydropower produced by NYPA at its St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project, which has been made available to the Town of Massena electric Department under a contract with NYPA entered into in 2012 entitled "Agreement Governing the Sale of St. Lawrence-PAR Project Power and Energy" to the Town of Massena Electric Department for Economic Develop- ment Purposes."
As of December 29, 2019, the megawatts eligible to be monetized for the purposes of economic development in St. Lawrence County has been reduced to ten. Ibis bill would remove the provision of law that resulted in this reduction, restore the 20 megawatts that existed from 2014 to the end of 2019, and provide for that megawatt monetization level to contin- ue in perpetuity.
Legislative history
2023-2024: S4876A, passed Senate; A29188 referred to Energy
2021-2022: S4261 passed Senate; A6206 referred to Energy 2019-20: S6916 - Energy and Telecommunications Committee.
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.