Authorizes the lease of lands adjacent to state, county and town highways for operation of wind or solar electric generating systems; authorizes the metropolitan transportation authority to enter into such leases.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A2506
SPONSOR: Englebright (MS) TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the highway law, in relation to authorizing the leasing
of land adjacent to state and local highways for the purpose of the
construction and operation of solar and wind electric generating
systems; and to amend the public authorities law, in relation to grant-
ing such authorization to the metropolitan transportation authority
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To authorize the lease of lands adjacent to state and county highways
for operation of wind or solar electric generating systems.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends Section 10 of the highway law by adding a new subdivi-
sion 38-a.
Section 2 amends Section 102 of the highway law by adding a new subdivi-
sion 19.
Section 3 amends Section 140 of the highway law by adding a new subdivi-
sion 20.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
JUSTIFICATION:
This legislation will help to spur economic opportunities in alternative
energy as well as energy independence by creating a mechanism for the
leasing of lands adjacent to state and county highways for operation of
wind or solar electric generating systems.
Other states have already pioneered the use of highway right of ways for
siting alternative solar energy generating systems. In 2008, the State
of Oregon installed the country's first solar project in a highway right
of way. The project consists of a 104 kW solar photovoltaic system that
covers 8,000 square feet - roughly the length of two football fields -
and produces 112,000 kWh each year. The solar panels produce electric-
ity during the day, giving the power to the PGE grid, and getting the
equivalent amount of power back at night from PGE to power lighting on
the highway. Electricity for the highway interchange is provided by PGE
and the added solar power is handled through a net metering arrangement
A live monitoring log is at:
http://www.live.declunonitoring.com/?id=solarhighway.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District in California will also be build-
ing solar arrays along state highways, starting with a 1.5 megawatt
project along Highway 50. This solar highway project received $5 million
in federal funding in January 2010, authorized by the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009. New technologies also exist for solar
panels that double as sound walls reducing highway noise near residen-
tial neighborhoods. Solar sound bathers are in used in Switzerland,
Germany, and Australia.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2009-10 A10243 Referred to transportation
2011-12 A5520 Referred to transportation
2013-14 A5623 Referred to transportation
2015-16 A6297 Referred to transportation
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2506
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 20, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, HOOPER, GUNTHER, JAFFEE, AUBRY,
LIFTON -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CRESPO, MAGEE, PERRY, THIELE
-- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the highway law, in relation to authorizing the leasing
of land adjacent to state and local highways for the purpose of the
construction and operation of solar and wind electric generating
systems; and to amend the public authorities law, in relation to
granting such authorization to the metropolitan transportation author-
ity
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 10 of the highway law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 38-a to read as follows:
3 38-a. Have the power to lease, for a term not to exceed ninety-nine
4 years, the property rights in air space, and/or unused surface or
5 subsurface space in connection with any state-owned property under his
6 or her jurisdiction or other property acquired for state highway
7 purposes. Such leases shall be for the purposes of the construction and
8 operation of solar and/or wind electric generating systems. Such systems
9 may be mounted upon sound barriers, retaining walls, open unobstructed
10 areas, parking lots, bridges, bridge structures, signs, sign structures
11 and upon any other area upon the leased real property. The construction
12 and operation of solar and wind electric generating systems subject to a
13 lease authorized by this subdivision shall be subject to state and
14 federal law, rules and regulations, but shall not be subject to any
15 local law, resolution, ordinance, rule or regulation. The terms of any
16 such lease shall be determined by the commissioner and shall be subject
17 to the approval of the attorney general. In order to carry any such
18 lease into effect, the commissioner is hereby authorized to execute and
19 deliver, in the name of the people of the state, a lease to such proper-
20 ty rights. Each such instrument of lease shall be prepared by the attor-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01381-01-7
A. 2506 2
1 ney general. No such lease by the commissioner shall deprive an abutting
2 landowner of his or her right of access.
3 § 2. Section 102 of the highway law is amended by adding a new subdi-
4 vision 19 to read as follows:
5 19. Have the power, subject to the approval of the county governing
6 body, to lease, for a term not to exceed ninety-nine years, the property
7 rights in air space, and/or unused surface or subsurface space in
8 connection with any county-owned property under his or her jurisdiction
9 or other property acquired for county road purposes. Such leases shall
10 be for the purposes of the construction and operation of solar and/or
11 wind electric generating systems. Such systems may be mounted upon sound
12 barriers, retaining walls, open unobstructed areas, parking lots, bridg-
13 es, bridge structures, signs, sign structures and upon any other area
14 upon the leased real property. The construction and operation of solar
15 and wind electric generating systems subject to a lease authorized by
16 this subdivision shall be subject to state and federal law, rules and
17 regulations, but shall not be subject to any local law, resolution,
18 ordinance, rule or regulation. The terms of any such lease shall be
19 determined by the county superintendent, and shall be subject to the
20 approval of the county governing body. Such lease by the county super-
21 intendent shall not deprive an abutting landowner of his or her right of
22 access.
23 § 3. Section 140 of the highway law is amended by adding a new subdi-
24 vision 20 to read as follows:
25 20. Have the power, subject to the approval of the town board, to
26 lease, for a term not to exceed ninety-nine years, the property rights
27 in air space, and/or unused surface or subsurface space in connection
28 with any town-owned property under his or her jurisdiction or other
29 property acquired for town road purposes. Such leases shall be for the
30 purposes of the construction and operation of solar and/or wind electric
31 generating systems. Such systems may be mounted upon sound barriers,
32 retaining walls, open unobstructed areas, parking lots, bridges, bridge
33 structures, signs, sign structures and upon any other area upon the
34 leased real property. The construction and operation of solar and wind
35 electric generating systems subject to a lease authorized by this subdi-
36 vision shall be subject to state and federal law, rules and regulations
37 but shall not be subject to any local law, resolution, ordinance, rule
38 or regulation. The terms of any such lease shall be determined by the
39 town superintendent, and shall be subject to the approval of the town
40 board. Such lease by the town superintendent shall not deprive an abut-
41 ting landowner of his or her right of access.
42 § 4. Section 1265 of the public authorities law is amended by adding a
43 new subdivision 15 to read as follows:
44 15. To lease, for a term not to exceed ninety-nine years, the property
45 rights in air space, and/or unused surface or subsurface space in
46 connection with any authority owned property or other property acquired
47 for authority purposes. Such leases shall be for the purposes of the
48 construction and operation of solar and/or wind electric generating
49 systems. Such systems may be mounted upon sound barriers, retaining
50 walls, open unobstructed areas, parking lots, bridges, bridge struc-
51 tures, signs, sign structures and upon any other area upon the leased
52 real property. The construction and operation of solar and wind electric
53 generating systems subject to a lease authorized by this subdivision
54 shall be subject to state and federal law, rules and regulations, but
55 shall not be subject to any local law, resolution, ordinance, rule or
56 regulation. The terms of any such lease shall be determined by the
A. 2506 3
1 authority. Such lease by the authority shall not deprive an abutting
2 landowner of his or her right of access.
3 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
