Requires the office of renewable energy siting and electric transmission to establish and/or amend rules and regulations pertaining to standards related to…

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

• Democratic4

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

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Michelle Hinchey says this is needed

In 2019, New York State passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, setting the stage for our state to be the nation's lead- er in renewable energy independence, including an emphasis on solar energy capture. While this transition is fundamental to the future of our planet, we must move forward in a way that does not negatively impact other important and fragile natural resources, like the agricul- tural lands that are pivotal to our fight against the climate crisis and the future of our nation's food security. The COVID-19 pandemic unveiled the fragility of our food system, showing us what happens when we depend almost entirely on international markets and a broken supply chain. That experience made clear just how important it is to have a robust, local and secure food system here in our state. It's also important to note that we can no longer aim to be just carbon neutral, we must be carbon negative, and agriculture holds the largest and most efficient opportunity through carbon sequestration and the healthy soil practices that New York farmers adhere to every day. In our fight to save the planet, we cannot afford to lose agricultural land. And yet, at current levels, large-scale solar developments are overtak- ing farmland because they are often the cheapest and easiest places to site these projects. Across the state, we're seeing dozens of projects sited within a single municipality, destroying local commerce, food security, and environmental preservation. Regional impacts and collec- tive farmland loss must be considered as part of the smart development criteria we use for siting solar developments. We cannot and must not exchange a climate crisis for a food crisis. In order to both hit our goals in the CLCPA and keep a safe, local food supply providing New Yorkers with fresh, healthy and nutritious meals, we must be more thoughtful of our resources and examine where and how we choose to develop new solar projects across the state. This legislation will create a program that maintains New York's robust solar industry while protecting farmland and the surrounding communities. It creates criteria for the Office of Renewable Energy Siting to consider upon receipt of a permit application and requires agricultural and regional impacts to be reviewed. Nothing is more important than transitioning to a renewable energy future, but it must be done through sustainable and thoughtful practice with regard to the communities and the food systems that we need to protect.

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.