S 2486: Relates to the construction of new geothermal, dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle plant facilities in New York state.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2486 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 21, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni- cations AN ACT to amend the energy law, in relation to the creation of geother- mal facilities in New York state The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The energy law is amended by adding a new section 3-105 to 2 read as follows: 3 § 3-105. Geothermal facilities. New geothermal, dry steam, flash 4 steam, and binary cycle plant facilities shall be created and installed 5 on an expedited process, in conjunction with the following guidelines: 6 1. Such facilities shall be constructed on sites that are pre-approved 7 by the public service commission, the New York state energy research and 8 development authority, the New York power authority, or other identified 9 state-approved organizations which specialize in the construction, 10 production, and distribution of energy. 11 2. Such facilities shall be capable of completing efficient and safe- 12 ty-approved construction and willing to operate in compliance with the 13 environmental conservation law to perform the safe capture and harness- 14 ing of geothermal energy. 15 3. All geothermal companies and such companies' operating partners and 16 affiliates shall go through annual inspections starting one year after 17 completion of construction, maximizing the safety of the energy facility 18 and the surrounding local area of said facility. Such annual inspections 19 will be conducted by the state, the public service commission, the New 20 York state energy research and development authority, the New York power 21 authority, or other identified state-approved organizations which 22 specialize in the construction, production, and distribution of energy. 23 4. The public service commission, the New York state energy research 24 and development authority, or any other competent authority that geoth- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD06649-01-5 
 S. 2486 2 1 ermal energy production may fall under, shall oversee the mapping, 2 tracking, and reporting of areas that have been approved and cited as 3 ready for geothermal-capable facilities to be erected on approved 4 grounding sites. 5 5. The documented information for the readying of construction and 6 installation of such facilities shall be made public on a state agency 7 website for a minimum of thirty days allowing for public comment on the 8 approved site if the cited area is in conjunction with a local munici- 9 pality, and/or would change the overall agricultural land in the 10 approved area. However, if there are no adverse effects to the local 11 municipality, the thirty-day comment period shall be closed with no need 12 for further review, and construction of the facility may commence effec- 13 tive immediately. 14 6. The construction and integration of energy systems to the desig- 15 nated approved area may expedite approval time of permits with the 16 hiring of a bonafide or state-approved local union to take on the prima- 17 ry roles of installation and construction of the new facility fitting, 18 or retrofitting as in the case of older fossil fuel facilities that are 19 capable of being retrofitted for geothermal energy production, for the 20 process of bringing in new geothermal power production facilities for 21 dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle. 22 7. Geothermal companies shall be deemed eligible for state funding and 23 grants if they employ and retain more than sixty percent of the work- 24 force from New York state residents and/or local unions for continued 25 employment beyond the original base construction of the facility. 26 8. The mapping process shall include, but not be limited to the inte- 27 gration of the area that has been approved to be a newly-formed facility 28 site which is capable of reasonably and timely connecting to pre-exist- 29 ing lines as well as, the creation of new lines to interconnect with the 30 new geothermal energy source, and any other new or pre-existing renewa- 31 ble energy source that may provide a sufficient, safe, reliable, and 32 affordable commodity for existing and new structures. Residential hous- 33 ing shall take connection priority, followed by commercial building 34 structures, with the goal being a sustainable source able to maintain 35 and sustain the surrounding structure and provide enough energy to build 36 out more in-depth battery storage and energy supply for the entirety of 37 New York. 38 9. The adoption and build out of geothermal energy facilities and 39 their distribution of stored energy will not preclude, exclude, or elim- 40 inate the continued adoption of any and all other renewable energy 41 sources that would aid in the ability to create a sustainable, afforda- 42 ble and clean energy efficient New York, and shall not remove or super- 43 sede any current renewable energy projects that have already been 44 approved, have already started construction, or have been deemed a valu- 45 able piece of clean energy provisions for the state. 46 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.