Pol: Key To Expanding Industries
Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi’s energy tracking bill, which received support from a coalition of good government and environmental groups, was signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last Monday, Aug. 20.
The law (A.6114-C) directs the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to establish a system to track energy creation, attributes, and trade within New York State. Under current law, energy utility companies purchase power through an intermediary agency that is not required to track how the energy was produced, be it wind, solar, coal, nuclear or any other resource.
The new law modifies the current process to ensure energy creation and trades are tracked, which would allow for eventual resource generation specific payments. Developing energy tracking infrastructure is pivotal to ensuring the growth of a 21st century renewable energy industry that can meet the needs of New York’s expanding high-tech economy, according to Hevesi.
The law details that for each megawatt of electricity produced within the state, a system will assign a unique tracking number that will display ownership and attributions of the energy until the wattage is traded and the certificate number retired. By tracking energy attributes, it can be verified whether the megawatt being traded was generated from a renewable energy source.
Such sources include but are not limited to wind, solar and geothermal energy. This monitoring not only allows renewable energy production industries to grow, but also ensures that New York is meeting the goals set fourth in the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS).
The coalition of support for devel- opment and passage of this legislation included National Grid, Independent Power Producers, Environmental Advocates of New York, and Alliance for Clean Energy NY.
“I want to thank Governor Cuomo and my Assembly and Senate colleagues that spent the past three years working diligently with me on this legislation. This bill provides the infrastructure necessary to bring New York State’s energy industry into the 21st century,” Hevesi said. “The significance of the creation of a certificate energy tracking system in New York cannot be understated in terms of the future of our energy security. As we transition into relying on new technology that generates sustainable energy within the state, this system will provide accountability for the composition of energy we use and rely on.”
