Relates to the contents of emergency response plans required to be submitted to the public service commission by electric corporations

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

• Democratic10

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Leroy Comrie says this is needed

In 2013 the Governor and Legislature enacted strong measures in the public service law to improve planning and oversight of storm prepared- ness and response for electrical utility. corporations. In 2019 the PSC issued a report, "2018 WINTER AND SPRING STORMS INVESTIGATION - Case 19-M-0285" in response to failures in utility company storm preparedness and response in 2018. In addition to directives and recommendations in that report the PSC also upgraded storm preparedness regulatory require- ments for utilities after the 2018 storms. This legislation builds upon those initiatives by connecting the emergency response planning process with time restoration goals to be established by the Public Service Commission. It will help utilities achieve the goal of "reasonably prompt restoration of service" already outlined in the existing statute by encouraging the emergency response plans to ensure the utilities emergency plans include resources, staffing and an ability to restore within a reasonable timetable. Prior to and after Superstorm Sandy, outage periods have grown as utili- ty companies become more dependent on mutual aid from other parts of the country instead of maintaining the practice of having sufficient local resources and manpower to address these emergencies. Emergency response plans acknowledge this and strike a balance between the arrival of mutu- al aid and a utility corporation's responsibility to have local resources and staffing available to restore service within a reasonable period of time after a major storm event. Incorporating time-based restoration goals will help in achieving reasonably prompt restoration of service.

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.