A6577 • 2025

Establishes a floating solar incentive and education program

Education Energy

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Didi Barrett
Last action: 2026-06-03
Official status: Assembly Floor Calendar
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Establishes a floating solar incentive and education program

Establishes a floating solar incentive and education program Directs the New York state energy research and development authority to establish a floating solar incentive and education program to provide information and resources including technical assistance, access to industry standards, and financing available through the authority or other public or private sector sources, to municipalities, developers, builders, design professionals, and potential owners for the construction of floating solar.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a floating solar incentive and education program Directs the New York state energy research and development authority to establish a floating solar incentive and education program to provide information and resources including technical assistance, access to industry standards, and financing available through the authority or other public or private sector sources, to municipalities, developers, builders, design professionals, and potential owners for the construction of floating solar.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-06-03 Assembly
REPORTED REFERRED TO RULES
2026-06-03 Assembly
REPORTED
2026-06-03 Assembly
RULES REPORT CAL.395
2026-06-03 Assembly
ORDERED TO THIRD READING RULES CAL.395
2026-06-03 Assembly
SUBSTITUTED BY S4571B
2026-05-22 Assembly
AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO WAYS AND MEANS
2026-05-22 Assembly
PRINT NUMBER 6577B
2026-03-17 Assembly
REPORTED REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS
2026-01-07 Assembly
REFERRED TO ENERGY
2025-03-17 Assembly
AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO ENERGY
2025-03-17 Assembly
PRINT NUMBER 6577A
2025-03-06 Assembly
REFERRED TO ENERGY

Official Summary Text

Establishes a floating solar incentive and education program
Directs the New York state energy research and development authority to establish a floating solar incentive and education program to provide information and resources including technical assistance, access to industry standards, and financing available through the authority or other public or private sector sources, to municipalities, developers, builders, design professionals, and potential owners for the construction of floating solar.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          6577

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                                  I N  A S S E M B L Y

                                      March 6, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. BARRETT -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Energy

        AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to  establishing
          a floating solar incentive and education program

          THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section 1. The public authorities law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
     2  section 1885 to read as follows:
     3    §  1885. FLOATING SOLAR INCENTIVE AND EDUCATION PROGRAM. 1. AS USED IN
     4  THIS SECTION THE TERM "FLOATING SOLAR"  SHALL  MEAN  SOLAR  PHOTOVOLTAIC
     5  SYSTEMS  MOUNTED ON FLOATING STRUCTURES OR PLATFORMS ON THE SURFACE OF A
     6  BODY OF WATER, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CANALS,  LAKES,  RESERVOIRS,
     7  AND PONDS.
     8    2.  THE AUTHORITY SHALL ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A FLOATING SOLAR INCEN-
     9  TIVE AND EDUCATION PROGRAM PURSUANT TO STANDARDS AND CRITERIA PROMULGAT-
    10  ED BY THE  AUTHORITY  WHICH  SHALL  PROVIDE  INFORMATION  AND  RESOURCES
    11  INCLUDING  TECHNICAL  ASSISTANCE,  ACCESS  TO  INDUSTRY  STANDARDS,  AND
    12  FINANCING AVAILABLE THROUGH THE AUTHORITY OR  OTHER  PUBLIC  OR  PRIVATE
    13  SECTOR  SOURCES, TO MUNICIPALITIES, DEVELOPERS, BUILDERS, DESIGN PROFES-
    14  SIONALS, AND POTENTIAL OWNERS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOATING SOLAR.
    15    3. THE PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO:
    16    (A) GRANTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FLOATING SOLAR;
    17    (B) IDENTIFICATION OF BEST PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES FOR SITING  FLOAT-
    18  ING SOLAR PROJECTS THAT PROTECT THE ECOSYSTEMS OF BODIES OF WATER;
    19    (C)  MONITORING  ANY IMPACTS FLOATING SOLAR MAY HAVE ON WATER QUALITY,
    20  WATER CONSERVATION, AND ALGAE CONTROL; AND
    21    (D) ESTABLISHING AND DISTRIBUTING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND  RESOURCES
    22  ABOUT  SITING,  CONSTRUCTION,  MAINTENANCE,  AND AVAILABLE INCENTIVES ON
    23  FLOATING SOLAR.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09075-01-5
        A. 6577                             2

     1    4. THE AUTHORITY, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE PUBLIC  SERVICE  COMMISSION
     2  AND  THE  DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, SHALL PROMULGATE ALL
     3  RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM.
     4    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
     5  it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
     6  ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
     7  tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
     8  completed on or before such effective date.