New York A 3561: Enacts the "go green schools act" to assist school districts in converting to renewable energy systems

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A03561 Summary:

BILL NOA03561 

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SAME ASSAME AS S02482

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SPONSORSantabarbara

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Add Art 8 Title 9-D §§1920 - 1923, amd §1854, Pub Auth L

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Enacts the "go green schools act" to assist school districts in converting to renewable energy sources as a primary source of energy; directs NYSERDA to conduct a study and make recommendations for such purpose.

Go to top A03561 Actions:

BILL NOA03561 

&nbsp

01/28/2025referred to energy

01/07/2026referred to energy

Go to topA03561 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA03561 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA03561 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 3561

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 January 28, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
 Committee on Energy

 AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to establishing
 the "go green schools act" to assist schools in converting to renewa-
 ble energy systems as a primary source of energy

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 2 the "go green schools act".
 3 § 2. Article 8 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a
 4 new title 9-D to read as follows:
 5 TITLE 9-D
 6 GO GREEN SCHOOLS ACT

 7 Section 1920. Definitions.
 8 1921. Mapping.
 9 1922. Study.
 10 1923. Reporting.
 11 § 1920. Definitions. For the purposes of this title:
 12 (a) "authority" shall have the same meaning as set forth in subdivi-
 13 sion two of section eighteen hundred fifty-one of this article; and
 14 (b) "renewable energy systems" shall have the same meaning as defined
 15 in section sixty-six-p of the public service law.
 16 § 1921. Mapping. 1. The authority shall develop a mapping tool to
 17 provide to schools to assist such schools in converting to renewable
 18 energy systems as a primary source of energy.
 19 2. The mapping tool shall be posted prominently and publicly on the
 20 authority's website and shall include the following features:
 21 (a) provide sufficient information and guidance to schools to compre-
 22 hensively evaluate what type or types of renewable energy systems will
 23 be the most cost effective option for meeting the energy needs of each
 24 school in the state; and
 25 (b) renewable energy system siting information, such as: land use
 26 cover data; disadvantaged communities; brownfields; previously disturbed

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD06639-01-5

 A. 3561 2

 1 and developed sites including but not limited to large rooftops, parking
 2 lots, and landfills; agricultural soils and agricultural districts;
 3 forests; wetlands, floodplains, and waterbodies; historic, cultural, and
 4 archaeological resources; public parks, preserves and recreational
 5 resources; conserved and protected lands; hosting capacity; distrib-
 6 ution, and transmission lines; and topography as relevant to siting
 7 renewable energy systems.
 8 3. The authority shall complete and post the mapping tool on its
 9 website on or before December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-seven.
 10 § 1922. Study. 1. The authority, within twelve months of the effective
 11 date of this title, shall conduct a study of the financial feasibility
 12 and sustainability of converting each public school district to renewa-
 13 ble energy as a primary source of energy.
 14 2. Such study shall include, but not be limited to:
 15 (a) the ability of each school district to safely house its own inde-
 16 pendent energy harnessing source and store the energy harnessed, includ-
 17 ing the use of nearby structures to create local storage battery facili-
 18 ties nearby;
 19 (b) the ability to plug schools that are not connected to a renewable
 20 energy source into existing renewable energy sources, including but not
 21 limited to solar farms, hydrogen energy plants, wind farms, geothermal,
 22 and other renewable energy sources, as approved by the authority, that
 23 are nearby;
 24 (c) the creation of microgrids to connect school districts