Bill Text: NY S02984 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the dairy farm improved energy efficiency program; provides grants and low interest loans to dairy farms who make energy efficient improvements.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 7-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2015-11-20 - VETOED MEMO.253 [S02984 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-S02984-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         2984
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   January 30, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations,  Authorities
         and Commissions
       AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
         relation to creating the dairy farm improved energy efficiency program
         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  due to their remote locations at the end of the electric
    3  grid infrastructure, farms are more difficult  to  service  by  electric
    4  utilities.    Strengthening  the  energy systems of individual farms and
    5  developing micro-grids in remote areas will enhance  the  overall  reli-
    6  ability  of  the  electric  system.   The legislature further finds that
    7  assisting dairy farms with high  efficiency  lighting,  high  efficiency
    8  pumping and cooling equipment, and other energy management systems, will
    9  result  in  significant  energy  savings and increased milk yields.  The
   10  legislature hereby declares that providing low cost tools  and  programs
   11  to  farmers  will  help farm operations become more efficient and reduce
   12  their cost of doing business.  Advancing new technologies will also help
   13  to accelerate the development of  the  energy  services  industry,  thus
   14  providing new and expanded job opportunities for New Yorkers.
   15    Therefore,  the legislature seeks to provide funds to encourage energy
   16  efficient dairy farms through grants and low interest loans for approved
   17  projects to stimulate the New York state dairy industry.
   18    S 2. Section 1 of chapter 174 of the laws of  1968,  constituting  the
   19  New York state urban development corporation act, is amended by adding a
   20  new section 16-x to read as follows:
   21    S  16-X.  DAIRY  FARM  IMPROVED ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM.   1.  DEFI-
   22  NITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION:
   23    (A) "AUTHORITY" SHALL MEAN THE NEW YORK STATE ENERGY RESEARCH DEVELOP-
   24  MENT AUTHORITY.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD01310-01-5
       S. 2984                             2
    1    (B) "LOAN FUND" SHALL REFER TO THE DAIRY FARM  IMPROVED  ENERGY  EFFI-
    2  CIENCY LOAN FUND ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
    3    2.  (A)  THE  CORPORATION, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE AUTHORITY, SHALL
    4  ESTABLISH A DAIRY FARM IMPROVED ENERGY EFFICIENCY LOAN FUND  TO  PROVIDE
    5  GRANTS  AND  LOW  INTEREST  LOANS  TO  DAIRY FARMS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY
    6  PROJECTS AND ADVANCED ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES.
    7    (B) IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN  THIS  LOAN  PROGRAM,  A
    8  DAIRY  FARM  MUST  HAVE AN ENERGY AUDIT PROVIDED THROUGH THE AUTHORITY'S
    9  ENERGY AUDIT PROGRAM THAT HELPS CUSTOMERS MAKE INFORMED ELECTRICAL ENER-
   10  GY DECISIONS AND IMPLEMENT ENERGY EFFICIENCY STRATEGIES.
   11    3. (A) THE CORPORATION SHALL, WITHIN AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS, PROVIDE
   12  FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL OR OTHER ASSISTANCE FROM THE LOAN FUND TO  ELIGIBLE
   13  DAIRY FARMS.
   14    (B)  THE  CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE GRANTS AND LOW INTEREST
   15  LOANS FROM THE LOAN FUND FOR ELIGIBLE IMPROVEMENTS TO DAIRY FARMS.    TO
   16  BE  ELIGIBLE  FOR  SUCH GRANTS AND LOANS, A DAIRY FARM SHALL IDENTIFY AN
   17  ELIGIBLE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AND PROVIDE NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION.
   18    (C) GRANTS OR LOANS PROVIDED BY THE  CORPORATION  MAY  BE  UP  TO  ONE
   19  HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
   20    4.  ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS OR LOW INTEREST
   21  LOANS THROUGH THE LOAN FUND SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   22    (A) PRE-QUALIFIED MEASURES THAT ARE PROVEN COST EFFECTIVE  INVESTMENTS
   23  WHICH REDUCE ENERGY USE;
   24    (B)  CUSTOM  MEASURES  THAT  PAY  FOR  THEMSELVES IN TEN YEARS THROUGH
   25  REDUCED ENERGY USE;
   26    (C) PROCESS IMPROVEMENT MEASURES THAT REDUCE MANUFACTURING ENERGY  USE
   27  ON A COST-PER-UNIT BASIS; AND
   28    (D) RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES THAT USE THE SUN, WIND, ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
   29  OF  ANIMAL  WASTES OR OTHER APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES TO GENERATE HEAT OR
   30  POWER.
   31    5. APPLICATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE  PURSUANT  TO  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  BE
   32  REVIEWED  AND  EVALUATED  BY  THE  CORPORATION  IN  COOPERATION WITH THE
   33  AUTHORITY PURSUANT TO ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND CRITERIA SET FORTH IN
   34  THE RULES AND REGULATIONS PROMULGATED BY THE CORPORATION.
   35    6. THE CORPORATION AND THE AUTHORITY SHALL SUBMIT  AN  ANNUAL  WRITTEN
   36  REPORT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE
   37  SENATE  IDENTIFYING  THE NUMBER OF DAIRY FARMS ASSISTED THROUGH THE LOAN
   38  FUND PROGRAM, AND THE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS IMPLEMENTED AND ENERGY  COST
   39  SAVINGS  AND  ANY OTHER BENEFITS REALIZED BY THE DAIRY FARMS ASSISTED BY
   40  THIS PROGRAM.
   41    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.