New York A 10406: Relates to small business energy assistance and advocacy services

Bill Text

STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          10406
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                      March 3, 2026
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Small Business
        AN ACT to amend the economic development law and the public service law,
          in relation to small business energy assistance and advocacy services
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  Legislative  findings.  The  legislature hereby finds and
     2  declares that rising energy costs present a significant barrier  to  the
     3  economic  viability  of New York's small businesses, a crucial sector of
     4  the state's economy. Small businesses can least afford the time and cost
     5  associated with seeking opportunities to conserve energy, utilize energy
     6  efficient products and processes and gain access to renewable sources of
     7  energy. The viability of small businesses and the overall  economic  and
     8  environmental  status of New York state will be enhanced by the develop-
     9  ment, expansion and promotion of accessible and affordable  programs  to
    10  assist  small  businesses in energy conservation, energy efficiency, and
    11  increased use of renewable resources, and by ensuring  equitable  treat-
    12  ment of small businesses in the proceedings of energy-related regulatory
    13  agencies.
    14    The  legislature hereby establishes a small business energy assistance
    15  and advocacy services program as part of the division for small-business
    16  within the empire state development corporation to  assist  small  busi-
    17  nesses in accessing energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable
    18  energy  programs  available  through  public and private sources, and to
    19  advocate for the initiation and expansion of such programs and for equi-
    20  table treatment of small businesses in regulatory proceedings related to
    21  energy.
    22    § 2. The economic development law is amended by adding a  new  section
    23  138-a to read as follows:
    24    §  138-a.  Small  business  energy  assistance  and  advocacy services
    25  program. 1. There is hereby established within  the  division  of  small
    26  business  a  small  business  energy  assistance  and  advocacy services
    27  program.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in  (underscored) is new; matter in bracketsitalics
                              [] is old law to be omitted. 
                                                                   LBD11014-03-6

        A. 10406                            2
     1    2. The small business energy assistance and advocacy services program,
     2  in consultation with other divisions of the department  and  with  other
     3  agencies of the state, federal agencies or local governments, shall:
     4    a.  solicit input from small businesses and from organizations repres-
     5  enting small businesses, such as trade associations or  other  entities,
     6  regarding  the  energy  assistance  and energy efficiency needs of small
     7  businesses;
     8    b.  provide recommendations to the New York state energy research  and
     9  development  authority, the power authority of the state of New York and
    10  other public utility authorities established pursuant to article five of
    11  the public authorities law, the  public  service  commission,  investor-
    12  owned  utilities and other entities regarding the development and imple-
    13  mentation of energy assistance programs and on the impact of state ener-
    14  gy policy on small businesses;
    15    c. provide to small businesses information  and  materials  on  energy
    16  assistance  programs,  cooperative  fuel  purchasing  efforts  and other
    17  programs to maintain the affordability of energy, and provide access  to
    18  such information and materials on the department's website;
    19    d.  accept and investigate complaints of any kind from all small busi-
    20  ness customers including those from the  Long  Island  power  authority,
    21  attempt  to mediate such complaints where appropriate directly with such
    22  authority and refer complaints to the appropriate state or local  agency
    23  authorized by law to take action with respect to such complaints; and
    24    e.  hold  quarterly  forums  in each of the service territories of the
    25  combination gas and electric corporations, as defined under section  two
    26  of  the  public  service  law,  and  the  Long Island power authority to
    27  educate small business owners  about  utility-related  matters  and  the
    28  regulatory  process,  opportunities