S 1340: Ensures the safe and efficient delivery of materials for the timely construction of major renewable energy facilities in furtherance of the goals mandated by the New York state climate leadership and community protection act; provides that vehicles carrying materials intended for the construction of any major renewable energy facility, including oversize and superload transport vehicles, shall be permitted to travel on the thruway and state highways, on any day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1340 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 9, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of materials for the timely construction of major renewable energy facilities in further- ance of the goals mandated by the New York state climate leadership and community protection act The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings and declaration. In 2019, the state 2 enacted the historic New York state climate leadership and community 3 protection act to mitigate the impacts of climate change and reduce 4 greenhouse gas emissions from anthropogenic sources 100% over 1990 5 levels by the year 2050. In 2020, the state enacted the accelerated 6 renewable energy growth and community benefit act, which provided for 7 the expedited siting of major renewable energy facilities and related 8 transmission. The legislature hereby finds and declares that to mean- 9 ingfully and timely achieve the historic goals mandated in the New York 10 state climate leadership and community protection act, and to meet the 11 technology-specific requirements set forth therein, including the 12 installation of wind and solar-powered electric generation, the 13 construction of new and repowered wind turbines and solar arrays is an 14 urgent matter of great importance to New York. The legislature further 15 finds that current rules, regulations, and policies addressing the 16 transport of large loads on the state highways and the thruway present 17 impediments to the efficient transport of construction materials used 18 for these projects, including large loads such as wind turbines, which 19 is inconsistent with the goals of the accelerated renewable energy 20 growth and community benefit act. Because of the unprecedented volume 21 and size of materials planned for transport, the current rules regarding 22 the use of police escorts for the transport of such loads may result in 23 delays, shortages of police officer escorts, and retention of truck EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01246-01-5 
 S. 1340 2 1 traffic, that may hinder construction of major renewable energy facili- 2 ties. Therefore, it is the intent of this act to supersede any such rule 3 or policy, and to allow materials used for the construction of any major 4 renewable energy facility to be transported on state highways and on the 5 thruway safely using either a police escort, or a private security 6 escort. 7 § 2. (a) For the purposes of this act, the term "major renewable ener- 8 gy facility" shall have the same meaning as defined in section 137 of 9 the public service law. 10 (b) Notwithstanding any other law, rule, regulation, or internal poli- 11 cy of any state department, agency, public authority, or public benefit 12 corporation, vehicles carrying materials intended for the construction 13 of any major renewable energy facility, including oversize and superload 14 transport vehicles, shall be permitted to travel on the thruway and 15 state highways, in compliance with the requirements set forth in subdi- 16 vision (c) of this section, on any day of the week, including Saturday 17 and Sunday. 18 (c) Notwithstanding any other law, rule, regulation, or internal poli- 19 cy of any state department, agency, public authority, or public benefit 20 corporation, vehicles carrying materials intended for the construction 21 of any major renewable energy facility, including oversize and superload 22 transport vehicles, shall be permitted to travel either with a police 23 escort, including but not limited to environmental conservation offi- 24 cers, parks police, county sheriff deputies or the national guard, or 25 with a private security certified escort vehicle as that term is defined 26 in 17 NYCRR 154-1.12. The state shall not bear the cost of any private 27 security escort utilized under this section. 28 (d) Vehicles carrying materials intended for the construction of any 29 major renewable energy facility, including oversize and superload trans- 30 port vehicles, shall have a certified annual inspection demonstrating 31 compliance with all applicable state and federal safety standards in 32 lieu of a state police level I full inspection, provided the certified 33 inspection is performed within seven calendar days of the trip, the 34 vehicle is not subject to commercial use in the interim, and the opera- 35 tor of such vehicle makes satisfactory inspection paperwork available to 36 the state police, the department of transportation, and the thruway 37 authority upon request. 38 (e) All state departments, agencies, public authorities, or public 39 benefit corporations shall prioritize the permitting and requests for 40 approval for such travel for the transport of materials intended for use 41 in a major renewable energy facility. The department of transportation, 42 in consultation with the thruway authority and the state police, shall 43 establish through regulation a program for the certification of private 44 security escorts authorized to escort vehicles transporting materials 45 intended for the construction of any major renewable energy facility. 46 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.