Relates to the definition of rural areas to mean any area of the state not included within the boundaries of any city or village having a population in excess of 20,000 inhabitants.

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S3579-2011 Actions

• Sep 23, 2011: SIGNED CHAP.555
• Sep 12, 2011: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
• Jun 14, 2011: returned to senate
• Jun 14, 2011: passed assembly
• Jun 13, 2011: ordered to third reading rules cal.119
• Jun 13, 2011: substituted for a6280
• Jun 1, 2011: referred to energy
• Jun 1, 2011: DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
• Jun 1, 2011: PASSED SENATE
• May 2, 2011: ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
• Apr 13, 2011: 2ND REPORT CAL.
• Apr 12, 2011: 1ST REPORT CAL.383
• Feb 25, 2011: REFERRED TO ENERGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

S3579-2011 Meetings

Energy and Telecommunications: Apr 12, 2011

S3579-2011 Calendars

Active List: Jun 1, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Apr 13, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 2, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 3, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 4, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 9, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 10, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 11, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 16, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 17, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 18, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 23, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 24, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 25, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Jun 1, 2011

S3579-2011 Votes

S3579-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S3579

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the rural electric cooperative law, in relation to the
definition of rural areas

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The intent of this bill is to modify a limitation on the size of a
city or village that may be served by a rural electric cooperative so
that it conforms to the United States Department of Agriculture
definition of rural.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
This bill amends subdivision (c) of section 2 of the rural electric
cooperative law, in relation to a rural electric cooperative's
ability to serve certain customers within cities and villages with a
population of 20,000 or less.

JUSTIFICATION:
New York's Rural Electric Cooperative Law definition of "rural areas"
(only within the boundaries of any city or village having a
population in excess of one thousand inhabitants) is inconsistent with
the federally recognized definition as it applies to rural electric
cooperatives and could restrict a rural electric cooperative from
serving customers within certain rural cities and villages.

New York rural electric cooperatives have a long tradition of
providing low-cost, reliable service to their membership.
Despite their low "customer density" (averaging 6 members per mile of
distribution line), cooperatives outperform traditional
investor-owned utilities on rates and reliability of service, quickly
restoring power during emergency outage conditions.

As consumer owned utilities with attractive rates, rural electric
cooperatives are in a prime position to take an active role in
economic development efforts often working closely with county and
local officials to attract retail, commercial and industrial
businesses to rural Upstate New York. The cooperatives also promote
energy conservation, demand side management, and renewable energy
development efforts in their communities.

Therefore, considering the potential benefits to ratepayers in certain
rural areas of the state, there appears to be no reason to restrict
rural electric cooperatives in New York to serving customers only
within the boundaries of any city or village having a population in
excess of one thousand inhabitants.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S3579-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    3579

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              February 25, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sens.  BONACIC,  RANZENHOFER,  SEWARD  -- read twice and
    ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
    Energy and Telecommunications

  AN  ACT  to amend the rural electric cooperative law, in relation to the
    definition of rural areas

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section  1. Subdivision (c) of section 2 of the rural electric cooper-
  ative law is amended to read as follows:

    (c) "Rural areas" means any area of the state not included within  the
  boundaries of any city or village having a population in excess of [one]
  TWENTY thousand inhabitants.
    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.







   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD09460-01-1