Permits and encourages state owned parking facilities to install solar canopies in any parking garage, open parking lot or other parking facility owned and/or operated by the state of New York, that offers parking spaces for the purposes of public use, state employee use or pay-per-usage constructed prior to January 1, 2030; requires such installation after January 1, 2030.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A4701
SPONSOR: Glick TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to installing solar cano-
pies in certain parking facilitates
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To require the construction of solar canopies over all parking lots of a
certain size.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the executive law by adding new section 201-b to
provide solar canopy requirements and defines solar canopies.
Section 2 provides that this act shall take effect immediately.
JUSTIFICATION:
The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act set the ambitious,
but achievable goal of 70% clean electricity by 2030 and 100% by 2040.
To achieve this goal, we must make efficient use of available resources
and opportunities.
Large parking lots have become an inevitable byproduct of our automo-
tive-reliant society, but the space is under-utilized. The construction
of solar canopies in these largely unobstructed and expansive lots could
provide significant clean energy production.
Increased clean energy production is a public good, but solar canopy
construction also offers, benefits to individual vehicle users in the
form of increased protection from summer heat while making use of this
energy instead. Solar canopies also reduce heat radiation off of asphalt
which normally increases temperatures in asphalt-dense areas.
By adding more solar canopies throughout the state, New York will be
significantly closer to meeting the goals set forth in the Climate Lead-
ership and Community Protection Act.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: A.7595 (O'Donnell) - Referred to Governmental Operations
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately
