S1177-2011 Actions

• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
• Jan 5, 2011: REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

S1177-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S1177

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the public service law, in relation to New York state voltage
regulation pilot program

PURPOSE:
To establish the New York state voltage regulation pilot program.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 66 of the public service law is amended by adding a new
subsection 66-m voltage regulation pilot program. This subsection
provides for the establishment of a pilot program promoting energy
conservation through voltage regulation. The pilot program would also
allow utilities to recoup their capital and operating costs for
qualified voltage regulation equipment from their rate base.

Section two of the bill requires the Public Service Commission, in
consultation with NYSERDA, to study the effects of the voltage
regulation conservation pilot program upon the environment and the
public.

JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, most utilities send out more energy over the power lines
than is actually needed by customers, due to the design of the grid.
This is done because energy is lost throughout the transmission
system and utilities have to insure that the last customer on the
line still receives the necessary amount of energy.

According to the US Department of Energy, approximately sixty-seven
percent of the energy in the form of electricity is wasted from the
point where it is generated and enters the electrical grid, to the
point where a consumer uses the electricity.

However, recent technological advances have made it possible to
dynamically manage voltage at the point of consumption, substantially
lowering energy consumption, and improving power quality.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2009-2010:  S.6130/A.9163 - Referred to Energy & Telecommunications/
Referred to Energy

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Minimal.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately, with provisions.

S1177-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 
                                         1177
 2011-2012 Regular Sessions
 I N  SENATE
 January 5, 2011
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. PARKER, PERKINS -- read twice and ordered printed,
 and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and  Tele
 communications
 AN  ACT  to  amend the public service law, in relation to New York state
 voltage regulation pilot program
 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section  1.  The public service law is amended by adding a new section
 66-m to read as follows:

 

S 66-M. VOLTAGE REGULATION PILOT  PROGRAM.  1.  THE  COMMISSION  SHALL
 ESTABLISH  A  NEW YORK STATE PILOT PROGRAM PROMOTING ENERGY CONSERVATION
 THROUGH VOLTAGE REGULATION AND THEREBY IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY  OF  THE
 ELECTRIC GRID.
 2.  THE  COMMISSION  SHALL  OVERSEE  THE  IMPLEMENTATION  OF THE PILOT
 PROGRAM AND SHALL ISSUE AN ORDER OF THE COMMISSION  AUTHORIZING  CAPITAL
 AND  OPERATING  COSTS  OF  QUALIFYING VOLTAGE REGULATION EQUIPMENT TO BE
 RECOVERED IN EACH UTILITY'S RATE BASES AND TO EARN A  REASONABLE  RETURN
 OVER  A  PERIOD  TO BE DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSION, PROVIDED THE CORPO
 RATION SHALL, AT A MINIMUM, PROVIDE THE COMMISSION WITH THE FOLLOWING:

 (A) A DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND ECONOMIC  EVALUATION  OF  THE  PROPOSED
 INVESTMENTS IN ITS SERVICE AREAS;
 (B)  AN  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  COSTS, BENEFITS AND RISKS OF THE PROPOSAL,
 INCLUDING AN ANALYSIS OF THE COSTS, BENEFITS AND  RATE  IMPLICATIONS  TO
 THE  UTILITY'S PARTICIPATING CUSTOMERS, TO THE UTILITY'S DEFAULT SERVICE
 CUSTOMERS AND TO THE UTILITY'S DISTRIBUTION CUSTOMERS;
 (C) A DESCRIPTION OF THE QUALIFIED VOLTAGE  REGULATION  EQUIPMENT  AND
 ITS  SPECIFICATIONS,  INSTALLATION  SPECIFICATIONS,  SOLICITATIONS,  AND
 PROCUREMENTS THE UTILITY HAS IMPLEMENTED OR INTENDS TO IMPLEMENT;
 (D) A SHOWING THAT THE UTILITY HAS MADE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO  INVOLVE
 NEW  YORK  STATE-BASED BUSINESSES, AND MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS
 ENTERPRISES, AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED TEN  OF  THE  EXECUTIVE
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD02142-01-1
 
       S. 1177                             2
 LAW, IN THE MANUFACTURE OR SUPPLY OF QUALIFIED VOLTAGE REGULATION EQUIP
 MENT; AND
 (E)  OPERATE  IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS ESTAB
 LISHED BY THE COMMISSION IN CONSULTATION WITH THE NEW YORK STATE  ENERGY
 AND RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
 3.  QUALIFIED  VOLTAGE  REGULATION  EQUIPMENT SHALL BE SYNONYMOUS WITH
 QUALIFIED VOLTAGE REGULATION DEVICE, AND SHALL MEAN  VOLTAGE  REGULATION
 TECHNOLOGIES  WHICH  REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION, IMPROVE GRID EFFICIENCY,
 RAISE OR LOWER VOLTAGE DYNAMICALLY AND ARE NINETY-NINE PERCENT  OR  MORE
 EFFICIENT ACROSS A MINIMUM OF NINETY PERCENT OF THE ELECTRIC LOAD CURVE.
 

S  2. The public service commission, in consultation with the New York
 State Energy and Research Development Authority, shall provide an annual
 report on or before the first day of June to the governor, the temporary
 president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority lead
 er of the senate, and the minority leader of the assembly reporting  the
 progress of their efforts and the effects of the program on the environ
 ment  and  public. Such report shall identify: (i) each utility that has
 elected to install qualified voltage regulation equipment,  the  capital
 and  operating  costs  of which shall be recovered in the utility's rate
 base; (ii) the amount of savings, if any, generated by the use  of  such
 qualified  voltage  regulation  devices;  (iii) any improvements to such
 utility's reliability measures and finances; and (iv) the number of such
 qualified voltage regulation devices that are installed and  in  use  by
 customers in each utility's service areas.
 

S  3.  This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
 not later than the ninetieth day after this act shall have become a law,
 the commission shall commence a rulemaking proceeding to  prescribe  the
 standards  and  requirements  with  which  qualified  voltage regulation
 equipment must comply in order to be installed by utilities  in  certain
 service areas.

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