A6949

The New York State Senate passed Assembly Bill 6949, sponsored by Assemblymember Glick, amending the Environmental Conservation Law to facilitate geothermal energy development. The bill passed 60-2 on a roll call vote, with only Sens. Griffo and Oberacker voting in opposition. The legislation addresses regulatory barriers that have hindered geothermal adoption by reclassifying deep boreholes. Currently, New York regulations classify geothermal boreholes exceeding 500 feet as oil and gas wells, triggering costly reporting and bonding requirements that force property owners to install multiple shallow wells instead. Sen. Harckham, the bill's primary advocate, argued the change would reduce costs, minimize property space requirements, and enable geothermal heating and cooling systems in urban, downtown, and commercial environments. Sen. Mattera supported the measure as beneficial to the plumbing industry and essential to meeting the state's clean energy mandates, noting that wind and solar alone cannot satisfy CLCPA requirements. The bill takes effect immediately.