New York Assembly Bill A02605

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/25
• Refer: 1/21/25
• Refer: 1/7/26
• Report Pass: 5/5/26
• Engrossed: 5/13/26
• Refer: 5/13/26

Caption

Requires the results of any outage management system stress test conducted in the state by a utility company to be posted online and such results to be sent to the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly and the chairs of the senate and assembly standing committees on energy.

Summary

This bill requires certain utilities and public authorities in New York to make the results of outage management system stress tests publicly available online. The bill defines an outage management system stress test as a test of a utility’s ability to respond to large-scale weather events or natural disasters that could cause service interruptions. It applies to gas utilities, electric utilities, combination gas and electric utilities, municipal gas and electric utilities, waterworks corporations, municipal water systems, the New York State Public Authorities, and their service providers. Under the bill, the Department of Public Service must post the results of covered stress tests on its website as soon as they become available. The Public Service Commission or relevant authority board must also send an annual report of those results to the governor, legislative leaders, and the chairs of the energy committees in both houses. The bill takes effect immediately.

Impact

The bill would add new disclosure and reporting requirements to the Public Service Law and the Public Authorities Law, creating new sections governing outage management system stress testing for utilities and public authorities. It does not appear to change how stress tests are conducted, but it does require public posting of results and annual reporting to state officials, increasing transparency and legislative oversight for utility and water-system resilience planning. Affected entities include investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, waterworks corporations, municipal water systems, and public authorities such as the New York Power Authority and their service providers.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill. The Assembly Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee reported the bill favorably by an 18-5 vote, indicating meaningful support but not unanimity. No committee transcript is available, so the record does not show detailed debate, but the committee vote suggests the bill was viewed positively as a transparency and preparedness measure.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the added administrative and disclosure burden on utilities, municipal systems, and public authorities, which may be asked to publish test results and prepare annual reports. Supporters are likely to view the bill as a public accountability and emergency-preparedness measure, while any opposition would likely come from affected utilities or authorities concerned about reporting requirements, operational sensitivity, or the costs of compliance. The 18-5 committee vote indicates some disagreement, but the specific objections are not documented in the provided materials.