Public Policy
Welcome to the Public Policy section of ACE NY's website.
There are numerous State agencies and authorities involved in energy policy in New York in addition to the Governor’s Office and the two branches of the State Legislature – the State Senate and the State Assembly. Within the following pages, you will find an overview of some of these agencies and New York State’s energy policies.
In addition, there are two important initiatives taking place under the Governor’s auspices: the Governor’s Renewable Energy Task Force and the State Energy Planning Board. Both initiatives will play an important role in determining the future of New York’s energy resources and delivery system and the hoped-for transition to a green power economy. Please use the links at the bottom of the page to learn more.
ACE NY actively engages with State legislators to help build support for clean energy as well as to ensure measures that could adversely impact clean energy technologies do not garner sufficient support. While the issues being considered by the State legislature vary each session, a number of issues recur on a regular basis. A sample of the issues that ACE NY addresses each legislative session are reviewed briefly below and recent ACE NY memos on specific bills are provided in the Links and Resources sidebar.
Power Plant Siting
At one time, New York had a “one-stop shop” power plant siting law that provided for consistent and timely reviews of the permits needed for siting new power plants. This law expired on January 1, 2003, and negotiations to renew it have not been successful to date. Efforts to renew the law, called Article X (ten), surface each legislative session. ACE NY supports efforts to pass a new Article X that includes clean energy resources.
Budget Allocations
Each year, the Governor and the State Legislature must negotiate and pass the State budget. ACE NY monitors this process to ensure there is adequate funding for the authorities and agencies implementing programs and policies to encourage the increased use of clean energy technologies.
Distributed/On-Site Generation
While a state power plant siting law would help large-scale renewable energy generators, ACE NY also supports legislation to encourage adoption of on-site renewable resources. In 2008, supported by a broad coalition of environmentalists and clean energy businesses and supporters, the legislature approved a package of bills that expands net metering to allow commercial customers to net meter wind and solar electric systems up to 2 MW or the customers' peak historic load (whichever is less). Additionally, wind and farm waste systems on agricultural lands can now net meter up systems up to 500 kW. ACE NY supported a tax credit for solar systems installed in New York City which was also passed and signed into law in 2008.
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
RGGI creates a “cap and trade” program for carbon emissions from the electric power sector. Under RGGI, electric power producers that emit carbon must have sufficient allowances (permission to discharge carbon) to cover the extent of their emissions with the allowances made available via an auction. The auction funds are not currently part of the state budget but will be given to NYSERDA and used to support energy efficiency and clean energy technology investments in order to decrease demand for carbon-emitting electric power. ACE NY believes RGGI auction funds must be used to support these clean energy technologies and will oppose any legislative attempts to use the funds for other purposes.
Serving as the voice of the clean energy community, ACE NY works to foster coordination among policy makers and offers knowledge and expertise when it comes to creating sound and effective clean energy policies. ACE NY actively monitors both the annual budget process and the legislative and state agency initiatives that affect the clean energy industry. Working with policy makers, we advocate for policies that promote the growth of New York's green economy while ensuring we make every effort to protect public health and our precious natural resources.
In addition, there are two important initiatives taking place under the Governor’s auspices: the Governor’s Renewable Energy Task Force and the State Energy Planning Board. Both initiatives will play an important role in determining the future of New York’s energy resources and delivery system and the hoped-for transition to a green power economy. Please use the links at the bottom of the page to learn more.
ACE NY actively engages with State legislators to help build support for clean energy as well as to ensure measures that could adversely impact clean energy technologies do not garner sufficient support. While the issues being considered by the State legislature vary each session, a number of issues recur on a regular basis. A sample of the issues that ACE NY addresses each legislative session are reviewed briefly below and recent ACE NY memos on specific bills are provided in the Links and Resources sidebar.
Power Plant Siting
At one time, New York had a “one-stop shop” power plant siting law that provided for consistent and timely reviews of the permits needed for siting new power plants. This law expired on January 1, 2003, and negotiations to renew it have not been successful to date. Efforts to renew the law, called Article X (ten), surface each legislative session. ACE NY supports efforts to pass a new Article X that includes clean energy resources.
Budget Allocations
Each year, the Governor and the State Legislature must negotiate and pass the State budget. ACE NY monitors this process to ensure there is adequate funding for the authorities and agencies implementing programs and policies to encourage the increased use of clean energy technologies.
Distributed/On-Site Generation
While a state power plant siting law would help large-scale renewable energy generators, ACE NY also supports legislation to encourage adoption of on-site renewable resources. In 2008, supported by a broad coalition of environmentalists and clean energy businesses and supporters, the legislature approved a package of bills that expands net metering to allow commercial customers to net meter wind and solar electric systems up to 2 MW or the customers' peak historic load (whichever is less). Additionally, wind and farm waste systems on agricultural lands can now net meter up systems up to 500 kW. ACE NY supported a tax credit for solar systems installed in New York City which was also passed and signed into law in 2008.
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
RGGI creates a “cap and trade” program for carbon emissions from the electric power sector. Under RGGI, electric power producers that emit carbon must have sufficient allowances (permission to discharge carbon) to cover the extent of their emissions with the allowances made available via an auction. The auction funds are not currently part of the state budget but will be given to NYSERDA and used to support energy efficiency and clean energy technology investments in order to decrease demand for carbon-emitting electric power. ACE NY believes RGGI auction funds must be used to support these clean energy technologies and will oppose any legislative attempts to use the funds for other purposes.