Bill Text: NY S04180 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates a climate action council to set greenhouse gas emission reduction goals; codifies executive order No. 24 issued by Governor Paterson in 2009.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION [S04180 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S04180-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4180 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 4, 2019 ___________ Introduced by Sens. PARKER, ADDABBO, BAILEY, MONTGOMERY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to establishing a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions eighty percent by 2050 and preparing a climate action plan The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative intent and findings. Governor David A. Paterson 2 issued Executive Order No. 24 on August 6, 2009 entitled "Establishing a 3 Goal to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Eighty Percent by the Year 2050 4 and Preparing a Climate Action Plan." This Executive Order was continued 5 by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. The purpose of this act is to codify Execu- 6 tive Order No. 24 that was issued August 6, 2009. 7 An emerging scientific consensus recognizes that the increased concen- 8 tration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, along with other heat-trap- 9 ping greenhouse gases, resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels and 10 other human sources, warms the planet and changes its climate. Many 11 scientists warn that unmitigated climate change is expected to result in 12 significant adverse impact to our communities, economy and environment. 13 According to the scientific assessments of the United Nations Intergov- 14 ernmental Panel on Climate Change, and other work, substantial 15 reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century have the potential 16 to minimize the most severe climate change impacts currently predicted. 17 The reduction of global warming and limitation of climate change 18 effects requires a collaborative, international effort to reduce the 19 emission of greenhouses gases around the globe. New York and other 20 states should work collaboratively with the federal government to devel- 21 op and implement plans and policies that will achieve reductions in 22 greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Expanding and advancing 23 energy efficiency and renewable energy projects will reduce greenhouse EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD10393-01-9S. 4180 2 1 gas emissions and create new jobs. New York State has demonstrated 2 leadership in this effort by undertaking various actions. It is appro- 3 priate to build upon the important environmental benefits obtained 4 through these actions and to establish a State-wide goal for the 5 reduction of greenhouse gases, and to develop a plan that enables New 6 York to participate fully in the national and international efforts to 7 combat climate change. 8 § 2. Article 19 of the environmental conservation law is amended by 9 adding a new title 13 to read as follows: 10 TITLE 13 11 CLIMATE ACTION COUNCIL 12 Section 19-1301. Climate action council. 13 § 19-1301. Climate action council. 14 1. It shall be a goal of the state of New York to reduce current 15 greenhouse gas emissions from all sources within the state eighty 16 percent below levels emitted in the year nineteen hundred ninety by the 17 year two thousand fifty. 18 2. There is hereby created a climate action council ("council") 19 consisting of the commissioners of agriculture and markets, economic 20 development, environmental conservation, housing and community renewal, 21 and transportation; the chairs of the public service commission and the 22 metropolitan transportation authority; the presidents of the New York 23 state energy research and development authority, Long Island power 24 authority, New York power authority and dormitory authority of the state 25 of New York; the secretary of state; the director of the budget; the 26 director of state operations; and the counsel to the governor. The 27 director of state operations shall serve as the chair of the council. 28 3. The council shall prepare a draft climate action plan on or before 29 September thirtieth, two thousand eighteen. The council shall hold 30 regional public comment hearings on the draft plan, and shall allow at 31 least sixty days for the submission of public comment. Thereafter, the 32 council shall prepare a final climate action plan which shall be 33 reviewed and, if warranted, adjusted annually by the council. 34 4. In aspiring to meet the greenhouse gas emission reduction goal, the 35 council, in preparing the climate action plan, shall: 36 a. inventory greenhouse gas emissions within the state, including the 37 relative contribution of each type of emission source; 38 b. identify and assess short-term and long-term actions to reduce 39 greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change across all economic 40 sectors, including industry, transportation, agriculture, building 41 construction and energy production; 42 c. identify and analyze the anticipated reductions, and the economic 43 implications thereof, as a result of each action; 44 d. identify the anticipated life-cycle implications, consequences, 45 benefits and costs of implementing each action, including implications, 46 consequences, benefits and costs to the state, local governments, busi- 47 nesses and residents from implementation of each option and action; 48 e. identify whether such actions support New York's goals for clean 49 energy in the new economy, including specific short-term and long-term 50 economic development opportunities and disadvantages related to green- 51 house gas emission reductions and the development and deployment of new 52 and emerging technologies and energy sources; 53 f. coordinate its activities with the state energy planning process of 54 the state energy planning board;S. 4180 3 1 g. identify existing legal, regulatory and policy constraints to 2 reducing greenhouse gas emissions, assessing the impacts of climate 3 change, and adapting to climate change, and recommend ways to address 4 any such constraints; 5 h. establish estimated timelines for considering and implementing 6 actions; and 7 i. undertake such actions, and compile such additional material, as 8 deemed appropriate by the council in carrying out its responsibilities 9 under this section. 10 5. Members of the council may designate an executive staff member to 11 represent them and participate on the council on their behalf, subject 12 to the approval of the chair. A majority of the members of the council 13 shall constitute a quorum, and all actions and recommendations of the 14 council shall require approval of a majority of the total members or 15 their representatives. 16 6. The entities represented on the council are authorized to provide 17 the primary staff and other resources that are necessary for the council 18 to comply with this section. In addition, every other agency, depart- 19 ment, office, division and public authority of this state shall cooper- 20 ate with the council and furnish such information and assistance as the 21 council determines is reasonably necessary for it to comply with this 22 section. 23 7. The council may convene advisory panels to assist or advise it in 24 areas requiring special expertise or knowledge. 25 8. The climate action plan is not intended to be static, but rather a 26 dynamic and continually evolving strategy to assess and achieve the goal 27 of sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. 28 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
