A00472 Summary:
| BILL NO | A00472B |
| SAME AS | SAME AS S01343-B |
| SPONSOR | Woerner |
| COSPNSR | Sayegh, Williams, Magnarelli, Stirpe, Carroll R, Rivera, Simon, Hevesi, Vanel, Dinowitz, Hunter, Barrett, Seawright, Hyndman, Benedetto, Jackson, Burdick, Lunsford, Braunstein, Clark, Bronson, Simpson, Ra, Brown K, Durso, Kim, Bichotte Hermelyn, DeStefano, Gibbs, Bores, Raga, De Los Santos, Gandolfo, Lee, Simone, Rosenthal, Eachus, Levenberg, Meeks, Pheffer Amato, Davila, Slater, Tapia, Walsh, Shimsky, Colton, Stern, Reyes, Jones, Lupardo, Weprin, Rozic, Santabarbara, Walker, Cook, Jacobson, McMahon, Burke, Anderson, Peoples-Stokes, Rajkumar, Cruz, Fall, Taylor, Dilan, Buttenschon, Conrad, Mikulin, Lavine, Cunningham, Novakhov, Zinerman, Septimo, Zaccaro, Bendett, Alvarez, Chandler-Waterman, Blumencranz, McDonough, Schiavoni, Mitaynes, Paulin, Lasher, Torres, McDonald, Gonzalez-Rojas, Dais, Griffin, Kay, Solages, Kassay, Valdez, Wright, Carroll P, Gray, Burroughs, Hooks, Powers |
| MLTSPNSR | |
| Add §19-0333, En Con L | |
| Establishes the "clean fuel standard of 2026"; provides such standard is intended to reduce greenhouse gas intensity from the on-road transportation sector, with further reductions to be implemented based upon advances in technology. | |
A00472 Memo:
Go to topNEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to establishing the "clean fuel standard of 2026" PURPOSE: This legislation amends the environmental conservation law to require the development of a clean fuel standard in New York State to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation sector to achieve the goals set forth in the climate leadership and community protection act. SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1. Legislative findings and declarations Section 2. Establishes the title of the legislation. Section 3. Amends the environmental conservation law to create a new section 19-0333 to require the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in consultation with the New York State Energy, Research and Development Authority, to promulgate regulations to create a clean fuel standard in New York State. Other than aviation fuels which are preempted by federal law, the standard will apply to all providers of transportation fuels, including electricity, and is intended to reduce greenhouse gas intensity from the on-road transportation sector by at least twenty percent by 2034. The legislation further requires the regu- lations to consider the low carbon fuel standard adopted in other states, include coordination with other northeastern states to promote regional solutions to reduce GHG emissions, and include fees for regis- tering providers to offset implementation costs. To ensure program integrity and environmental protection, the bill requires DEC to impose strict accounting and reporting requirements for determining lifecycle emissions, including consideration for indirect emissions and environ- mental consequences. The legislation requires electric utilities, state agencies, and authorities, in consultation with the climate justice working group and climate action council, to invest or direct, to the extent practicable, forty percent of the entity's earned credit value to electrified transportation programs, projects or investments to directly benefit disadvantaged communities. This program is intended to be simi- lar to low carbon fuel standards in states such as California, by promoting reductions in GHG emissions in the transportation sector by assigning greenhouse gas intensity values to all fuels, taking into account the entire lifecycle of the fuel, and requiring high greenhouse gas fuels to promote low greenhouse gas fuels through a credit mech- anism. The commissioner shall report to the legislature within twenty- four months following adoption of the regulations. This section also grants DEC the power to defer the program in the event of emergency or forecasted conditions. Section 4. Makes the legislation effective immediately. JUSTIFICATION: Greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions pose a serious threat to the health of New York's citizens and the quality of the environment, and New York's transportation sector is the leading source of GHG emissions in the state, contributing over 34 percent of the state's annual GHG emissions. New York's transportation economy currently relies almost entirely on petroleum-based fuels to meet a substantial percent of its transporta- tion needs, particularly the transportation needs for medium and large trucks. Increased concentrations of ground-level ozone - directly related to GHG emissions - can promote respiratory illness in children and the elderly and exacerbate pre-existing respiratory illnesses. This can result in significant hospitalization costs and mortality rates, both of which are higher in New York State than the national average. In recent years, the total cost of asthma-related hospitalization in New York State was approximately six hundred and sixty million dollars; a number of New York residents die each year from asthma alone. Global warming may have adverse impacts on human health and the environ- ment. These impacts include increased heat illnesses and mortality, respiratory illnesses from increased formation of ground-level ozone, and the introduction or spread of vector-born illnesses. Global warming may adversely impact New York State shoreline, drinking water sources, agriculture, forests and wildlife diversity. While New York State continues to follow California regarding low emission vehicle standards, these efforts are not enough to address the transportation sector threats. Greater fuel diversity and innovation towards low emissions solutions in the transportation sector also provides significant economic benefit. New York's existing dependence on a single type of transportation fuel - whose price is highly volatile - imperils our economic security, endan- gers our jobs, and jeopardizes our industries. Diversifying the sources of transportation fuel helps to protect our jobs and economy from the consequences of oil price shocks. In addition, alternative fuels can provide economic development opportunities and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, criteria pollutants, and toxic air contaminants from transportation and other sectors. Although New York State has adopted the California standards for vehicle emissions and is making strides to promote electrification in certain transportation sectors, these efforts do not go far enough, nor do they promote new, innovative technologies that account for the full lifecycle of transportation fuels. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2023/2024: A.964/5.1292 -Referred to Environmental Conservation/PASSED SENATE. 2021/2022: A.862B/S.2962B -Referred to Environmental Conservation/Committed to Rules. 2019/2020: A.5262A/S.4003A -Referred to Environmental Conservation. FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: The legislation authorizes registration fees for the providers of fuels, which is intended to offset the cost of administering the program. EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.