The state Assembly has approved a bill that would renew, with substantial changes, Article X of the state Public Service Law, which governs how power plants are sited. The Council opposes this bill.

The Assembly’s plan would modify the lapsed Article X law. It includes a proposal to reduce the size of proposed power plants that must be cleared through Article X.

The proposal would also require the siting board to add several new steps to the process, including studies of the impact of emissions on the area’s environment and public health, as well as a study of the concentration of power plants in minority neighborhoods.

The Council has filed a memo of opposition to the bill, arguing that the proposal would discourage private investment in New York’s electricity markets and add new impediments for developers.

The proposal would result in fewer power plants sited, discourage developers from entering the market place, and lengthen the process for developers that do attempt to site plants, the memo said.

“With New York struggling to provide more electricity and build additional generation, this proposal sends a clear and distinct regulatory message: New York is not a favorable place to build a power plant,” the memo concluded.