[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6557872,"mediaKeyId","3285210-a13faac6fa0b76c13ba99d619587654e","parentId",3285210,"title","Senate Energy committee advances a slate of utility and broadband bills; several referred for further review","audioSeconds",3485,"startMs",35000,"endMs",3520000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3285210-a13faac6fa0b76c13ba99d619587654e&start=35&end=3520","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3285210-a13faac6fa0b76c13ba99d619587654e/thumbnail_35000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6557872/New-York/Senate-Energy-committee-advances-a-slate-of-utility-and-broadband-bills-several-referred-for-further-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557872-c70e65538410020943dec86c6ed6536f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147982&Signature=jv6k0jS9pyQmHe25Byj-8mExltWncBvo4vV-dXvgIxEeShshKGz-W0DQ33p1IWd9ay5gfUXlBS2EGaeGDIaJkZkTfl-vPnE~hep7jss8fFA1~0CzpeQMrwmY0vxLkqJwZWLOS9BWbBFlSqjl1Vr8imzubvMPpxoIMg27Q4UndpdNNT1MswTm~hJYPcMAeBsoAbAgocx6Jyt6m5xABnTbgh5WCp2KjbBw1XzVSq~fKFantfxKcz1Tlp9xKf3Zoy4e3NzKQD8AH2l1rjlLLNQXRK21YzhjOuFfsOWqYweCBrRtGzccTKgjT4yv93LRSUx6fLblE6yOJnNPwdWyMf1cMg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New York Legislature","date","2025-05-13T19:55:49Z","article","ALBANY — The New York State Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee advanced a number of bills on utility regulation, broadband attachments and consumer protections during its unspecified-date meeting. Several measures moved to subsequent committees or the calendar; one bill that drew extended questioning about fines and enforcement was referred to the Finance Committee.

Among the measures the committee advanced:

- Bill 980 (sponsor: Sen. Rolison): An act to amend the Public Service Law to require public hearings on increases in utility charges. The committee moved the bill; the transcript records support and a request to clear committee. The bill was referred to consumer affairs.

- Bill 2355 (sponsor: Sen. Parker): An act to amend the Public Service Law in relation to attachments to utility poles for broadband service. The bill was moved, received one recorded \"no\" vote, and was advanced to the calendar.

- Bill 2475 (sponsor: Sen. Parker): An act to amend the Public Service Law and Real Property Tax Law to establish tax-exemption treatment for certain energy-related public utility real property constructed to meet state clean-energy goals. Committee members questioned the scope and local-government impacts, including whether existing renewable projects would remain taxable and whether the exemption would apply to natural gas or independent generators; sponsors said the exemption would apply only to utility infrastructure constructed pursuant to the state's clean-energy criteria and would not apply to natural gas or independent generators. The bill was moved and referred to the Committee on Local Governments.

- Bill 3109 (sponsor: Sen. Cooney): An act to require substantially similar permits for broadband deployments to be processed together on an expedited basis. The committee advanced the bill to Local Governments after members confirmed it does not change pole capacity and that local governments retain denial authority.

- Bill 4316 (sponsor: Connery): An act to require phone companies to restore service promptly when the user depends on a medical-alert system or device that transmits medical data. The bill was moved and sent to the calendar.

- Bill 5509 (sponsor: Sen. Parker): An act to require display of notices of responsibilities to protect underground facilities. The bill was moved and will proceed to the calendar.

- Bill 6200 (sponsor: Scoofus): An act to require utility companies to maintain a toll-free number for reporting outages, including municipal electric companies. The current draft had no size exemption for municipal utilities; the bill advanced to the calendar with one recorded \"no\" or a single without-record vote noted in the transcript.

- Bill 6277 (sponsor: Sen. Sarcellus Vanton): An act to create a State Office of Utility Consumer Advocate. The bill passed committee by recorded voice counts (the transcript records multiple no votes but enough members to advance) and was referred to the next step noted in committee proceedings.

- Bill 6997 (sponsor: Sen. Ryan): An act to strengthen enforcement, safety and quality for pole attachments. This bill generated the longest discussion on the calendar; sponsors and senators debated definitions of \"attachers,\" which parties would bear fines, and whether fines could fall on small subcontractors or individual workers. The bill would require owners of poles to maintain a database of attachers and report work, compel the Public Service Commission to review safety and procedures, and create graduated fines and a list of bad actors. Committee members pressed about whether fines could reach six figures against small subcontractors and how indemnification would work; sponsors said the intent was for the attaching company to be the primary liable entity but that language includes officers, attachers, agents and employees. After extended questioning, the bill was referred to the Finance Committee.

- Bill 7132 (sponsor: Sen. Parker): An act to establish a renewable hydrogen incentive program; the bill was moved to Finance with one recorded without-record vote.

- Bill 7328 (sponsor: Sen. Hitching): An act concerning the commissioners of the Public Service Commission; the committee voted to advance the bill to third reading.

- Bill 7693 (sponsor: Sen. Mayor): An act to retain revenues derived from actual return on equity in excess of authorized rates of return by gas, electric or combination companies and redirect excess to ratepayers. Members asked about revenue impacts, how returns would be returned to ratepayers, and PSC discretion; the committee ultimately sent the bill to third reading and debated whether the finance committee should review distribution mechanisms.

The committee generally handled the calendar by motion, second and voice vote, with multiple bills advanced either to the floor calendar, to local governments, to finance, or to third reading depending on the subject and the debate. Several bills recorded one or more dissenting voices (the transcript repeatedly notes \"one no vote\" or \"three no votes\" for particular items). The committee concluded its calendar and then heard an industry presentation on battery energy storage from KeyCapture Energy (see separate article).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications - 05/13/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The New York State Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee advanced multiple bills on utility rates, pole attachments, broadband permitting and utility consumer advocacy; a high-profile pole-attachment enforcement bill was referred to finance after substantial questioning.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature NY, New York","taxId",77685,"location","New York","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6557877,"KeyCapture Energy official warns New York faces a storage-driven reliability gap; details industry safety practices",490,1263000,1753000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3285210-a13faac6fa0b76c13ba99d619587654e&start=1263&end=1753","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3285210-a13faac6fa0b76c13ba99d619587654e/thumbnail_1263000.jpg","/articles/6557877/New-York/KeyCapture-Energy-official-warns-New-York-faces-a-storage-driven-reliability-gap-details-industry-safety-practices","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557877-3bd847aa405a723edb3a16474a4d6c4f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147982&Signature=lD4eZdb7f7bLWK5tJUA-0lO47m9-QfV0NK0oAsi0sRqGLJsf79Djm8XdNs1jDAgAqG~pfI3QjH3ZcyGyMNTz4PWk2GawsYGBBUDOtfKPxocpo9Ebvjn9baknG3xBWPflB~CBR6hSzJ7UoIhunU0zksmLpH6GltBvdY1quywAUqjauSIbOEVjWlfeSZy9H-9uD8HZbT7Z5etVO7f8l~zuJsqTuu~s6pfMnb8ljK~KsVFXpRCEcl~ar-38Rv4uIKXysPHznyoFEVdo~pBKcoNwZFX1NzT0JBmPTk5sIhE~Q-oGFyxrVVFbrhakTcZWaA2bD7QgZF7WGQ3Vga2ONjhSWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","ALBANY — Joel Viduna, executive vice president and board member at KeyCapture Energy, told the New York State Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee on an unspecified date that battery energy storage systems are an essential tool to address an emerging reliability shortfall in New York and described how modern projects are sited, built and regulated.

Viduna told the committee that KeyCapture has 14 operational battery projects totaling about 600 megawatts, including three in New York and 11 in Texas, and that the company has several dozen projects under development across more than 15 states. He said storage helps shift energy from times of surplus to times of peak demand and can respond far faster than other grid resources.

\"Battery energy storage is unique in that it can instantly dispatch and can ramp up or down from idle to either full charging or discharging operation in mere milliseconds,\" Viduna said. He added that storage is well suited to New York because much of the state's generation is upstate while most demand is downstate, and transmission constraints mean short-duration capacity shortfalls downstate can last two to four hours — a gap storage can fill.

Why it matters: Viduna cited the New York Independent System Operator\u0000(NYISO) 2024 reliability needs assessment, saying it identifies a reliability need in New York City beginning in summer 2033 and projects a statewide margin decline that could leave no surplus power by 2034 without new resources. \"Speaking as a developer of these assets, in New York, it can take seven years to bring one of these projects online,\" he said, urging faster development.

Safety and standards: Viduna described how modern battery projects must comply with multiple national and international safety codes, naming the National Fire Protection Association standard NFPA 855 and Underwriters Laboratories standards UL 9540 and UL 9540A as examples. He said current systems are designed to contain large fire events and prevent spread between containers and that setbacks and container spacing are set by code to limit off-site propagation.

Viduna addressed the widely publicized Moss Landing incident in California, saying it involved older equipment and an earlier generation of battery chemistry. \"It is prior generation technology using nickel manganese cobalt batteries, which is not what the industry uses anymore,\" he said. He added that modern projects generally use lithium iron phosphate chemistry and are containerized with spacing designed to limit propagation.

On firefighting and emergency response, Viduna said project developers now engage local fire departments early, provide training and site tours before operation, and supply recurring training after commissioning. He explained that contemporary guidance often cautions against fighting certain battery fires with water because water can prolong thermal runaway; instead, many modern systems include gas-management systems and designs to limit event size.

Community engagement and siting: Viduna said developers run door-to-door outreach, host public forums, meet with planning authorities and fire departments in advance of entitlement and permitting, and conduct prevailing-wind studies to understand potential smoke pathways. He said code-based setbacks are typically 10 or 100 feet depending on design and that New York is updating codes and guidance to add measures recommended by the state\u0000fire marshal and the governor\u0000\u0000Hochul\u0000\u0000interagency fire safety task force.

Costs, duration and grid role: Viduna estimated capital costs and relative competitiveness: he said battery storage can be materially cheaper on operating cost than peaking natural-gas plants because storage uses effectively zero-marginal-cost energy (wind or solar) as fuel. He gave a rough industry figure of about $1,000 per kilowatt for battery energy storage capital cost versus higher figures for other plant types, and said batteries are most economically competitive against short-duration peaking plants, not necessarily base-load plants.

Interconnection and deployment barriers: Viduna told senators that interconnection processes have lengthened and become more expensive since FERC reforms in 2023, and that utilities and interconnection authorities are often short-staffed, which delays studies and increases developer risk. He endorsed approaches that manage connections dynamically rather than treating storage as a source of congestion.

Questions and follow-up: Committee members asked about thermal runaway risks, lifespan and cycle counts, emergency response, and siting near communities. Viduna said lithium iron phosphate chemistry has a higher onset temperature for thermal runaway than some cobalt-based chemistries and said modern systems are moving toward multi-hour durations (2\u0000to\u00004+ hours) rather than the shorter-duration systems associated with earlier incidents. He said typical industry life assumptions are about 20 years and 12,000 cycles, with technology and materials improvements extending those figures.

Viduna said KeyCapture supports updated New York fire-code guidance and said the company works with local responders and third-party consultants that specialize in battery-fire training.

The committee also asked about placarding and contact information; Viduna said national codes and pending state guidance require on-site placards, phone numbers and training materials for first responders.

No formal action on policy was recorded during the presentation portion of the meeting.

Taper: Viduna concluded by reiterating the reliability timeline and urging coordination to build required capacity quickly; the committee thanked him and adjourned.","KeyCapture Energy executive Joel Viduna told the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee that battery energy storage is critical to New York grid reliability, described modern safety standards, and outlined community engagement and interconnection challenges.","actionData","errors"]

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Senate Energy committee advances a slate of utility and broadband bills; several referred for further review

KeyCapture Energy official warns New York faces a storage-driven reliability gap; details industry safety practices