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COLUMN |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Greg Vitali |
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Energy Bill Stalled by Special Interests
by Greg Vitali
House Bill 80, legislation that could make Pennsylvania a leader in the fight against global warming and create thousands of good green jobs, is being held up by powerful special interest groups in Harrisburg. Citizens should contact their state representative and state senator to urge immediate passage of this bill.
House Bill 80 would require electric companies to significantly increase the share of electricity they obtain from renewable sources such as wind, solar and geothermal to 15 percent by 2024. The current requirement is 8 percent by 2020, a requirement that is already behind 20 other states, including neighboring New Jersey, which will require 22.5 percent of its electricity to come from renewable resources by 2021.
The bill would also require a legislative framework to be established for the private sector to develop and operate a carbon dioxide capture and sequestration network. This innovative network would consist of a storage facility that would receive, via pipeline, captured carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants and inject it into deep underground rock formations for long-term storage.
Enactment of H.B. 80 would result in approximately 16 million tons less carbon dioxide per year being released into the atmosphere. This is the equivalent of 3 million cars being removed from Pennsylvania’s roads. House Bill 80 would also result in the creation of thousands of jobs in the green energy industry, as well as jobs related to the construction and operation of the carbon capture and sequestration network.
House Bill 80 is currently positioned for House passage but unfortunately has been stymied by intensive lobbying efforts by such powerful interest groups such as the utility industry, the Pennsylvania Coal Association and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.
These special interest groups are attempting to defeat this legislation by stirring up unfounded fears of higher utility rates for residential and business customers.
In fact, if H.B. 80 is enacted, just the opposite is expected to occur. It is a basic principle of economics that price is a function of supply and demand, and that when supply is increased relative to demand, there is a downward pressure on price. H.B. 80, by increasing the supply of electricity generated by renewable sources, will create a downward pressure on electricity prices.
Some utilities oppose H.B. 80 because lower electricity prices mean lower profits for them. Coal companies oppose H.B. 80 because they fear more electricity from renewable sources means less electricity from coal and, consequently, lower profits for them. The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry opposes H.B. 80 because these very utilities and coal companies are its members. Additionally, many chamber members do not understand how more wind, solar and geothermal drive down electricity prices.
To date the special interest groups have been successful in holding up this legislation. Some legislators are refusing to support H.B. 80 because they have heard from these interest groups. It is time they hear from you. Please contact your state representative and state senator and tell them to pass H.B. 80 to create jobs and move Pennsylvania toward cleaner, less expensive energy.
State Representative Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves on the Pennsylvania House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is the prime sponsor of House Bill 80.
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