On April 10, Senate and House lawmakers were joined by renewable energy advocates to announce Senate and House legislation to expand the state’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards.
Legislators included Senators Steven J. Santarsiero (D-Bucks), Art Haywood (D-Philadelphia), Thomas H. Killion (R-Delaware), and Representatives Steve McCarter (D-Montgomery) and Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester).
“These standards don’t just measure progress when it comes to clean energy, family sustaining jobs, and environmental stewardship. They tell our children and grandchildren that we care about their future,” Sen. Santarsiero said. “I refuse to sit on the sidelines when so much is at stake for the next generation.”
“It is long overdue for Pennsylvania to implement new clean energy goals to create good jobs, cut pollution, and ensure we are a sustainable and prosperous state for the future of everyone,” Sen. Haywood said.
“Expanding renewable energy is critical to Pennsylvania’s future,” said Sen. Killion. “Modernizing our energy standards will protect the environment and create thousands of jobs. Substantially boosting renewable energy is absolutely the best way to provide cleaner air for our families while growing our state’s economy.”.
“The fierce and immediate urgency of climate change requires a fierce and immediate response,” Rep. McCarter said. “Thirty by ’30 is an excellent immediate goal. It’s reasonable and achievable. It creates jobs in Pennsylvania. And most importantly, it sets the stage for the much tougher work to come.
“I am proud to join my fellow colleagues in supporting legislation that calls for modernizing the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards,” said Rep. Carolyn Comitta. “Our state has already made important investments in alternative and clean energy technologies, but we must do more. Adjusting our electrical energy requirements to 30% by 2030 will solidify our path to reducing our carbon footprint and advance Pennsylvania toward becoming a national energy leader.”
The legislation would--
-- Expand the AEPS Tier I requirement from 8 to 30 percent by 2030, including 7.5 percent for in-state grid-scale solar and 2.5 percent for in-state distributed generation solar [DEP’s Solar Future Plan recommends increasing AEPS solar mandates];
-- Directs the PUC to study the benefits of a renewable energy storage program;
-- Provides for several protections that control costs for electricity customers, including long-term contracting, fixed ACP payments, and a 15-year lifetime limit for generating eligible SRECs for solar projects.
The proposal does not include nuclear energy as do Senate Bill 510 (Aument-R-Lancaster) and House Bill 11 (Mehaffie-R-Dauphin) which would add nuclear power to a new Tier III in the AEPS.
Click Here for a sponsor summary of the new AEPS renewable energy bill.
(Photo: Elizabethtown College solar array.)
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