S 4902: Requires cell towers to be equipped with a back-up power source in case of a power outage.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4902 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni- cations AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring cell towers to be equipped with a back-up power source in case of a power outage The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 2 399-yyyyy to read as follows: 3 § 399-yyyyy. Macro cell tower sites; back-up power. 1. Every owner or 4 operator of macro cell tower sites located in this state shall, to the 5 extent practicable, equip all such macro cell tower sites with an emer- 6 gency back-up power source capable of providing adequate power to main- 7 tain the operation of such macro cell tower sites in the case of a loss 8 of power. Such emergency back-up power source shall use a renewable 9 energy system, fuel cell electric generating equipment, or an energy 10 storage system and be capable of powering a macro cell tower site for a 11 minimum of at least seventy-two hours. If a macro cell tower site is 12 already equipped with an emergency back-up power source prior to the 13 effective date of this section, then the owner or operator of such macro 14 tower site shall not be required to update such emergency back-up power 15 source to meet the requirements of this section, provided, however, that 16 once such emergency back-up power source needs to be replaced, the owner 17 or operator shall equip such macro cell tower site with an emergency 18 back-up power source that meets the requirements of this section. 19 2. For the purposes of this section, "macro cell tower site" shall 20 mean the place where wireless telecommunications equipment and network 21 components, including towers, transmitters, base stations, and emergency 22 powers necessary for providing wide area outdoor service, are located. A EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02720-01-5 
 S. 4902 2 1 macro cell tower site shall not include rooftop, small cell, or outdoor 2 and indoor distributed antenna system sites. 3 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 4 have become a law.