N.Y.
Energy Law Section 16-106
Powers and duties of the president and the secretary
1.
The president in consultation with the secretary shall have and be entitled to exercise the following powers and duties:(a)
To adopt regulations establishing efficiency standards for the products listed in paragraphs (a) through (xx) of subdivision one of § 16-104 (Applicability, conduct prohibited)section 16-104 of this article, including but not limited to, establishing efficiency standards for power supplies in the active mode and no-load mode or other such products while in the active mode and in the standby-passive-mode;(b)
To adopt regulations establishing efficiency standards for products not specifically listed in paragraphs (a) through (xx) of subdivision one of § 16-104 (Applicability, conduct prohibited)section 16-104 of this article, provided that the president determines that establishing such efficiency standards would serve to promote energy reduction, water conservation, greenhouse gas reduction, and/or increased demand flexibility associated with the regulated product categories in this state. To the maximum extent feasible the president shall coordinate any such adoption with similar efforts by other states. Any regulation adopted pursuant to this paragraph may include provisions establishing procedures for testing the efficiency of the covered products and provisions establishing procedures for manufacturers of such product to certify that such products meet the efficiency standards, if the president determines that such manufacturer’s certifications should be required;(c)
To review efficiency standards as adopted from time to time by other states for products not listed in paragraphs (a) through (xx) of subdivision one of § 16-104 (Applicability, conduct prohibited)section 16-104 of this article, and to adopt regulations establishing efficiency standards similar to those adopted by any other state for such products, provided that the president determines that establishing such efficiency standards would serve to promote energy reduction, water conservation, greenhouse gas reduction, and/or increased demand flexibility associated with the regulated product categories in this state. Any regulation adopted pursuant to this paragraph may include provisions establishing procedures for testing the efficiency of the covered products and provisions establishing procedures for manufacturers of such product to certify that such products meet the efficiency standards, if the president determines that such manufacturer’s certifications should be required;(d)
To adopt regulations to achieve the purposes of this article. Such regulations shall ensure that compliance therewith will not result in a net increase in co-pollutant emissions or otherwise disproportionately burden disadvantaged communities as identified by the climate justice working group established under Environmental Conservation Law § 75-0111 (Climate justice working group)section 75-0111 of the environmental conservation law. In order to increase public participation and improve the efficacy of any efficiency standards adopted pursuant to subdivision (b) or (c) of this section, the president shall, before publication of a notice of proposed rule making, conduct public meetings to provide meaningful opportunities for public comment from all segments of the population that would be impacted by the standards or regulations, including persons living in disadvantaged communities as identified by the climate justice working group established under Environmental Conservation Law § 75-0111 (Climate justice working group)section 75-0111 of the environmental conservation law;(e)
To conduct investigations, test, and obtain data with respect to research experiments and demonstrations, and to collect and disseminate information regarding the purposes to be achieved pursuant to this article;(f)
To accept grants or funds for purposes of administration and enforcement of this article. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the president is hereby authorized to accept grants or funds, including funds directed through negotiated settlements or consent orders pursuant to this article. All funds accepted by the president for the purposes of this article shall be deposited in the efficiency standards administration account established by the New York state energy research and development authority and maintained in a segregated account in the custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance. All expenditures from the efficiency standards administration account pursuant to this article shall be made by the New York state energy research and development authority to carry out studies, investigations, research, expenses to provide for expert witness, consultant, enforcement, administrative and legal fees, including disbursements to the department of state to support enforcement activities authorized by the secretary pursuant to this section, and other related expenses pursuant to this article. All deposits made to the efficiency standards administration account made by the New York state energy research and development authority, all funds maintained in the efficiency standards administration account, and disbursements therefrom, made pursuant to this article shall be subject to an annual independent audit as part of such authority’s audited financial statements, and such authority shall prepare an annual report summarizing efficiency standards administration account balance and activities for each fiscal year ending March thirty-first. In addition to submitting such report as provided in Public Authorities Law § 1867 (Annual reports)section one thousand eight hundred sixty-seven of the public authorities law, the authority shall provide such report to the secretary no later than ninety days after commencement of such fiscal year;(g)
To consult with the appropriate federal agencies, including, but not limited to, the federal department of energy and other potentially affected parties in carrying out the provisions of this article; and(h)
To conduct investigations, in consultation with the secretary, to determine if products covered by standards adopted pursuant to this article comply with such standards; to conduct tests to determine if products covered by standards adopted pursuant to this article comply with such standards; to prepare written reports of the results of such investigations and tests; to provide such reports to the secretary; in consultation with the secretary, to negotiate settlement agreements with any person that violates the provisions of subdivision two of § 16-104 (Applicability, conduct prohibited)section 16-104 of this article, or fails to perform any duty imposed by this article, or violates or fails to comply with any rule, regulation, determination, or order adopted, made, or issued by the president or the secretary pursuant to this article, pursuant to which such person shall agree to cease such violation and to pay such civil penalty as may be specified in such agreement, the terms of which will be incorporated into a consent order signed by such person, the president, and the secretary; to consult with the secretary in connection with determinations made by the secretary pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision five of this section; and to cooperate with the secretary in enforcement proceedings conducted by the secretary pursuant to this article. 1-a. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, no efficiency standard adopted pursuant to paragraph (a) of subdivision one of this section shall become effective less than one hundred eighty days after publication of the notice of adoption of such standard in the state register; no efficiency standard adopted pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of subdivision one of this section shall become effective less than one year after publication of the notice of adoption of such efficiency standard in the state register; no amendment of any efficiency standard adopted pursuant to this article or of any efficiency standard continued in this state pursuant to § 16-105 (Adoption of certain federal efficiency standards)section 16-105 of this article shall become effective less than one hundred eighty days after publication of the notice of adoption of such amendment in the state register; and no new or amended efficiency standard adopted pursuant to this article shall go into effect if federal government efficiency standards regarding such product preempt state standards unless preemption has been waived pursuant to federal law.2.
(a) On or before January first, two thousand twenty-three, the president, in consultation with the secretary, shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of this article establishing:(i)
efficiency standards for new products of the types referred to in paragraphs (a) through (f), paragraphs (h) through (y), paragraphs (aa) through (jj) and paragraphs (mm) through (xx) of subdivision one of § 16-104 (Applicability, conduct prohibited)section 16-104 of this article;(ii)
procedures for testing the efficiency of the new products of the types referred to in paragraphs (a) through (f) and paragraphs (h) through (xx) of subdivision one of § 16-104 (Applicability, conduct prohibited)section 16-104 of this article;(iii)
procedures for manufacturers to certify that new products of the types referred to in paragraphs (a) through (f) and paragraphs (h) through (xx) of subdivision one of § 16-104 (Applicability, conduct prohibited)section 16-104 of this article meet the efficiency standards to be adopted pursuant to this article, if the president determines that such manufacturer’s certifications should be required; and(iv)
such further matters as are necessary to insure the proper implementation and enforcement of the provisions of this article.(b)
With respect to the types of products referred to in paragraph (g), (z) or (kk) of subdivision one of § 16-104 (Applicability, conduct prohibited)section 16-104 of this article (incandescent reflector lamps, general service lamps, and light emitting diode lamps), the president shall conduct a study by December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-three to determine whether an efficiency standard for such products should be established, taking into account factors including the potential impact on electricity usage, product availability and consumer and environmental benefits. If the president determines based on this study that such a standard would reduce energy use and would not be preempted by the federal law, the president shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of this article establishing efficiency standards for such products.3.
Subsequent to adopting regulations pursuant to subdivisions one and two of this section, the president, in consultation with the secretary, may amend such regulations, including increasing the stringency of the efficiency standards. ** 4. By March fifteenth of two thousand twenty-one, the secretary and the president shall produce a report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the senate, the chair of the assembly committee on energy and the chair of the senate committee on energy and telecommunications on the status of regulations establishing efficiency standards pursuant to this article, which shall indicate for each product enumerated in subdivision one of § 16-104 (Applicability, conduct prohibited)section 16-104 of this article the status of the implementation of efficiency standards. The report shall also set forth the estimated potential annual reductions in energy use and potential utility bill savings resulting from adopted efficiency standards for the years two thousand twenty-five and two thousand thirty-five and the potential cumulative reductions in energy use through the year two thousand thirty-five. Such report shall be updated in the same manner by March fifteenth, two thousand twenty-six and two thousand thirty and copies of such updates shall be posted by March fifteenth, two thousand twenty-seven and March fifteenth, two thousand thirty on the websites of the authority and the department of state. ** NB Repealed December 31, 2030 5.(a)
In addition to all other powers and authority given to the secretary by this article, the secretary shall have and be entitled to exercise the following powers and duties:(i)
To request the president to conduct investigations to determine if products covered by efficiency standards adopted pursuant to this article comply with such efficiency standards; to consult with the president in connection with the president’s performance of such investigations; to request the president to conduct tests to determine if products covered by efficiency standards adopted pursuant to this article comply with such efficiency standards; and to request the president’s cooperation in connection with enforcement proceedings conducted by the secretary pursuant to this article;(ii)
To order the immediate cessation of any distribution, sale or offer for sale, lease or offer to lease, rent or offer to rent, import, or offer to import, or installation or offer of installation of any product listed in paragraphs (a) through (xx) of subdivision one of § 16-104 (Applicability, conduct prohibited)section 16-104 of this article, or of any product for which efficiency standards shall have been established pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of subdivision one of this section, or any product that is subject to a federal efficiency standard that shall have been continued in this state pursuant to § 16-105 (Adoption of certain federal efficiency standards)section 16-105 of this article, if the secretary, in consultation with the president, determines that such product does not meet the applicable efficiency standard or if such product does not satisfy the testing procedures or manufacturer’s certification procedures adopted pursuant to the regulations authorized by this article;(iii)
To accept grants or funds for purposes of administration and enforcement of this article;(iv)
To impose, after notice and an opportunity to be heard, civil penalties and/or injunctive relief for any violation of this article or any regulation adopted pursuant to this article. Any penalties collected by the secretary under this section shall be placed in the account established under section ninety-seven-www of the state finance law, relating to the consumer protection account; and(v)
To adopt such rules and regulations as the secretary may deem necessary or appropriate for the purpose of carrying out the powers and duties granted to the secretary by this article.(b)
The secretary may exercise the powers and authority granted to the secretary by this subdivision, or by any other provision of this article, through the consumer protection division established by the secretary pursuant to Executive Law § 94-A (Consumer protection division)section ninety-four-a of the executive law or through such other divisions, officers, or employees of the department of state as the secretary may designate from time to time.
Source:
Section 16-106 — Powers and duties of the president and the secretary, https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ENG/16-106 (updated Jan. 6, 2023; accessed May 4, 2024).
