Section 3-C - [Expires Effective 12/31/2040] Office of renewable energy siting and electric transmission1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (a) "Executive director" or "director" shall mean the executive director of the office of renewable energy siting and electric transmission.(b) "ORES" and "office" shall mean the office of renewable energy siting and electric transmission established pursuant to this section.(c) "Siting permit" shall mean the major renewable energy facility siting permit or major electric transmission facility permit issued by the executive director pursuant to article VIII of this chapter, and the rules and regulations promulgated by ORES and approved by the commission.2. General powers and responsibilities. (a) There is hereby established in the department an office of renewable energy siting and electric transmission.(b) ORES shall accept applications and evaluate, issue, amend, and approve the assignment and/or transfer of siting permits pursuant to article VIII of this chapter. ORES shall exercise its authority by and through the executive director.(c) ORES, by and through the executive director, shall be authorized to conduct hearings and dispute resolution proceedings, issue permits, and adopt, subject to the approval of the public service commission, such rules, regulations and procedures as may be necessary, or any amendments or modifications thereto, convenient, or desirable to effectuate the purposes of this section and article VIII of this chapter.(d) ORES shall, among other things, continue unimpeded the work of the office of renewable energy siting established under the former section ninety four c of the executive law. All permits issued by the former office of renewable energy siting, established pursuant to former section ninety four c of the executive law, and all certificates of environmental compatibility and public need issued by the commission pursuant to article VII of this chapter shall be considered for all legal purposes to be permits issued by ORES.(e) All final siting permits issued by ORES or heretofore issued by the office of renewable energy siting established pursuant to the former section ninety four c of the executive law are hereby enforceable by ORES and the department pursuant to section twenty-four, section twenty-five, and section twenty-six of this article as if issued by the commission, except that such permits issued to combination gas and electric corporations are also enforceable by ORES and the department pursuant to section twenty-five-a of this article. ORES and the department shall monitor, enforce, and administer compliance with any terms and conditions set forth in a siting permit issued pursuant to article VIII of this chapter and in doing so may use and rely on authority provided to the commission otherwise available under this chapter. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the holder of a certificate or permit issued under article VIII of this chapter, or a predecessor statute thereto, for a major renewable energy facility with an electric generating capacity between twenty-five and eighty megawatts or that otherwise opts into article VIII of this chapter is subject to enforcement by ORES or the department pursuant to sections twenty-four, twenty-five and twenty-six of this article.(f) At the request of ORES, all other state agencies and authorities are hereby authorized to provide support and render services to the office within their respective functions.N.Y. Pub. Serv. Law § 3-C
Added by New York Laws 2024, ch. 58,Sec. O-9, eff. 4/20/2024, exp. 12/31/2040.