Public Benefit Corporations and Authorities: Quasi-private corporations that manage both publicly operated and privately operated systems. Because they can issue their own debt without affecting New York State or its municipalities' credit, they can make riskier investments than other agencies. Their operations are limited by charter and the New York State Public Authorities Control Board oversees their financing and construction projects.
Quasi-Governmental Agency: Independent organizations with a government mandate to provide a service.
Independent Regulatory Agency: Federal agencies that are meant to “impose and enforce regulations free of political influence.”
Public Utilities Commission: “Governing body that regulates the rates and services of a public utility".
Agency Type: Public-benefit corporation/authority
Functions: Research and development for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Leadership: Ex officio board members include the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Chair of the PSC, and the President and CEO of NYPA. The rest are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate and must include an engineer or research scientist, an economist, an environmentalist, a consumer advocate, an officer of a gas utility, an officer of an electric utility, and three at-large members (13 total members).
Relevance: Provides government subsidies in order to encourage reductions in energy usage through technological interventions. Designed to “attract private sector capital investment needed [to] expand New York's clean energy economy.”
Agency Type: Government Office - within the Department of State
Functions: Consolidate and expedite permitting process for large-scale renewable energy projects
Leadership: Executive Director plus office “comprised of legal, environmental, and energy professionals”
Relevance: Will provide all necessary approvals, and therefore define requirements (at state and local levels), for developers to begin construction on renewable energy generation and storage projects.
Agency Type: Public Utilities Commission
Functions: The PSC is tasked with ensuring that utilities are held to standards of “safe and adequate” service and “just and reasonable” rates.
Leadership: Commissioners are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate for six year terms. New York does not mandate that the utilities oversight board include a consumer representative.
Relevance: The PSC rubber stamps most of our utilities' requests, and rarely hold them accountable. Hearings tend to be relatively inaccessible and poorly attended.
Agency Type: Public-benefit corporation/authority
Functions: NYPA owns large scale hydro, along with a few fossil fuel generating facilities. They supply the electricity for state institutions such as schools, government buildings, and the MTA. They cannot own new renewable generating facilities.
Leadership: Trustees are appointed by the Governor with the consent and advice of the Senate.
Relevance: DSA is working on a bill to allow NYPA to build, own, and invest in green electricity generation, and allow NYPA to supply electricity to non-state consumers.
Agency Type: A not-for-profit corporation that serves as a quasi-governmental agency for New York.
Functions: Coordinates, controls, and monitors New York's electricity system. NYISO also manages the state's competitive wholesale electric marketplace.
Leadership: NYISO is run by a not-for-profit board of directors.
Relevance: NYISO's capacity markets hurt the economical viability of renewable energy.
Agency Type: Independent regulatory agency
Functions: Regulates interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. It has many responsibilities such as reviewing proposals for natural gas infrastructure, licensing of hydropower dams, and reviewing corporate transactions of electricity companies.
Leadership: Commissioners are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
Relevance: The Energy Policy Act of 2005 gave FERC jurisdiction over transmission and wholesale sales of electricity. They recently shut down NYISO's renewable plan.