Authorizes the city of Buffalo to alienate and discontinue the use of certain parklands

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why April Baskin says this is needed

In 2022, the Legislature passed the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act. In 2024, the Public Service Commission promulgated rules to enact this important legislation. The Commission directed the seven largest investor-owned utility companies in the state to submit between one and five pilot thermal utility energy projects. This legislation will authorize National Fuel to begin breaking ground on their mandated pilot project in Waterfront/Emerson Young Park. This pilot project will provide geothermal heating to a full city block of affordable housing as well as a system serving several municipal buildings downtown. The network will use boreholes and other thermal energy sources to provide a source of clean heating and cooling for all these buildings. This project will reduce energy emissions, provide a constant and reliable sources of renewable energy, and promote future building electrification. Once the construction of the utility thermal energy network is complete, Waterfront/Emerson Young Park will once again be available for use as a park, since the utility thermal energy network will be underground.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.