2023 New York Laws › PBA - Public Authorities › Article 8 - Miscellaneous Authorities › Title 9-C - Renewable Energy Outreach and Community Planning Assistance Program › 1912 - Powers and Duties.

* §  1912.  Powers  and duties. The authority is hereby authorized and
directed to undertake such actions it deems necessary or  convenient  to
establish,  augment,  or  expand  existing renewable energy outreach and
community  planning  programs  to  provide  information,  resources  and
technical  assistance to support the siting, development, and acceptance
of renewable energy technologies, including:
1. Developing and  enhancing  a  community  education  and  engagement
program  to inform New Yorkers about the climate crisis and the benefits
of shifting to a clean energy economy and conducting outreach, providing
information and education, and building consensus on  the  environmental
and  local  benefits  of  renewable  energy technologies. Such strategic
education and outreach shall include:
(a)  Effective  communication,  engagement  and  public  outreach   to
communities,  including  disadvantaged communities, to provide education
and  information  on  maximizing  the  benefits  that  renewable  energy
technologies  can  provide  while demonstrating strategies and solutions
that are available to ensure that community benefits are meaningful  and
negative impacts are avoided, reduced, or mitigated;
(b) Comprehensive education and outreach to local governments that may
host  renewable  energy  technologies  to  provide objective information
about  the  impacts  of  renewable  energy  development  and  mitigation
opportunities; and
(c)  Facilitation of forums for communities, regions, renewable energy
developers, and other stakeholders to exchange  information  and  ensure
that all have access to the factual information necessary to support the
appropriate  siting  of  facilities  and  acceptance of renewable energy
technologies.
2. Collaborating with  community  stakeholders,  the  agriculture  and
forestry   sectors,  and  the  renewable  energy  industry  to  develop,
facilitate, and provide centralized access to renewable energy  planning
resources  and  assistance  for  local governments. Such resources shall
include publicly available data resources,  including  a  mapping  tool,
related    to   renewable   energy   development   to   help   municipal
representatives and local communities make informed land  use  decisions
and communicate local priorities to developers.
(a)  The  renewable  energy  development  data  resources, including a
mapping tool, shall be available on the authority's  website  and  shall
provide  sufficient  information  and  guidance  to allow communities to
undertake a comprehensive evaluation  of  the  potential  for  renewable
energy development and to plan proactively for deployment that maximizes
local benefit and avoids, reduces, or mitigates negative impact on lands
with agricultural soils, farming, forests, and other competing uses.
(b)  The  renewable energy development data resources may use publicly
available information and shall be designed to facilitate  participation
by local governments, renewable energy developers and other stakeholders
in existing renewable energy siting and planning processes.
(c)  The renewable energy development data resources shall provide, to
the extent available information on agricultural, environmental,  energy
system  and  other  resources  relevant  to  renewable energy technology
siting,  such  as:  land  use  cover  data;  disadvantaged  communities;
brownfields;  previously  disturbed  and  developed  sites such as large
rooftops,  parking  lots,  landfills,  etc.;  agricultural   soils   and
agricultural districts; forests; wetlands, floodplains, and waterbodies;
historic,   cultural,   and   archaeological  resources;  public  parks,
preserves and recreational resources;  conserved  and  protected  lands;
hosting  capacity;  distribution, and transmission lines; and topography
as relevant to siting renewable energy technology.
3. Providing technical assistance and training  to  local  governments
and  other  stakeholders  on  the use of such information and resources,
including the renewable energy development data resources.
4.  Consulting,  collaborating  with, and/or procuring the services of
service providers, including, but  not  limited  to:  regional  planning
associations, non-profits, and community-based organizations, to conduct
outreach  and  education  about  renewable  energy benefits, develop new
renewable energy  planning  tools  and  resources,  including  renewable
energy  development  data resources, and to provide technical assistance
and   training   to   municipalities   to   support   the    authority's
responsibilities under this section.
5. Managing, allocating, and spending any monies made available to the
authority in furtherance of this title as the authority determines to be
appropriate  for  the  proper  administration  of  the  program  created
pursuant to this title.
6. Requesting and receiving the assistance of the departments  or  any
other  state  agency  or  authority,  within  their  respective relevant
subject matter expertise, to support the administration of  the  program
created pursuant to this title.
* NB Repealed December 31, 2031