Dive Brief:

• The New York State legislature has unanimously passed a measure that calls for the setting of statewide targets for energy storage.

• The bills, SB 5190 and AB 6571, direct that state’s Public Service Commission to develop an Energy Storage Deployment Program, including a storage procurement target for 2030.

• If the bill is signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the PSC would have until Jan. 1, 2018 to establish an energy storage target.

Dive Insight:

New York’s energy bill could make it the fourth state with an energy storage target. California and Oregon already have storage mandates, and Massachusetts passed the enabling legislation last summer and is working crafting the details of the mandate.

Other states, such as Maryland and Nevada, do not have mandates, but do have energy storage incentives. An energy storage bill in Hawaii failed to pass the legislature, but could be revived in the next legislative session.

The law, if passed by Gov. Cuomo, would direct the PSC to consult with the New York State energy Research and Development Authority and the Long Island Power Authority in setting up a storage mandate. The storage program would be run by NYSERDA and LIPA.

The New York bill was sponsored by Sen. Joseph Griffo (R), Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D) and a bipartisan coalition of other state legislators.

“New York continues to be a hub for energy innovation and is a model for leveraging effective policy and market structures to advance practical solutions,” Matt Roberts, executive director of the Energy Storage Association, said in a statement.