S 3551: Establishes the study commission on preventing snow emergencies to evaluate the impact of grid electrification on the safety and reliability of heating systems in snowstorms that cause power outages, and to develop strategies and best practices to maximize grid reliability and resiliency during extreme winter weather events.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3551 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 28, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. BORRELLO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni- cations AN ACT establishing the study commission on preventing snow emergencies; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. There is hereby established the study commission on 2 preventing snow emergencies, hereinafter referred to as the "study 3 commission". The purpose of the study commission is to evaluate the 4 impact of grid electrification on the safety and reliability of heating 5 systems in snowstorms that cause power outages, and to develop strate- 6 gies and best practices to maximize grid reliability and resiliency 7 during extreme winter weather events. 8 § 2. The study commission shall consist of fifteen members as follows: 9 1. the chair of the public service commission, or such chair's desig- 10 nee; 11 2. one member to be appointed by the governor; 12 3. one member to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; 13 4. one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; 14 5. one member to be appointed by the temporary president of the 15 senate; 16 6. one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 17 7. the chair of the senate energy and telecommunications committee; 18 8. the ranking minority member of the senate energy and telecommuni- 19 cations committee; 20 9. the chair of the assembly energy committee; 21 10. the ranking minority member of the assembly energy committee; 22 11. three members to be appointed each by the three largest utility 23 companies servicing Western New York; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD08104-01-5 
 S. 3551 2 1 12. the commissioner of the division of homeland security and emergen- 2 cy services, or such commissioner's designee; and 3 13. one member to be appointed by the largest trade association 4 representing electrical workers in Western New York. 5 § 3. The chair of the public service commission, or such chair's 6 designee, shall be designated as the chairperson of the study commis- 7 sion. The members of the study commission shall serve without compen- 8 sation, except that members shall be allowed their necessary and actual 9 expenses incurred in the performance of their duties under this act. 10 § 4. The study commission shall be authorized to hold public hearings, 11 and to consult with any organization, educational institution, or other 12 government entity or person, to enable it to accomplish its duties. 13 § 5. To effectuate the purposes of this act, the study commission may 14 request and shall receive from any department, division, board, bureau, 15 commission, or other agency of the state or any state public authority 16 such assistance, information, and data as will enable the study commis- 17 sion to properly carry out its powers and duties hereunder. 18 § 6. The study commission shall issue a report of its findings and 19 legislative recommendations to the governor, the speaker of the assem- 20 bly, the minority leader of the assembly, the temporary president of the 21 senate, and the minority leader of the senate. 22 § 7. The public service commission shall use the study commission's 23 report's findings and recommendations to determine whether, how, and on 24 what timetable to modify the targets set forth in subdivision 2 of 25 section 66-p of the public service law. The public service commission 26 shall consult with the department of environmental conservation about 27 whether, how, and on what timetable to modify the targets set forth in 28 subdivision 1 of section 75-0107 of the environmental conservation law, 29 based upon the study commission's report's findings and recommendations 30 issued pursuant to this act. 31 § 8. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be 32 deemed repealed two years after it shall have become a law.