House Bill 80/Senate Bill 92 - Amending the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) Act 213 of 2004 and establishing a carbon dioxide sequestration network

House Bill 80/ Senate Bill 92, PN 2413- Summary Sheet

H.B. 80/S.B. 92 would amend the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard as follows:

1. Tier I Requirements
• increases Tier I requirements from 8 percent to 18 percent by 2024
• Tier I requirements until 2021 remain unchanged
2. Solar Photovoltaic Requirements
• increases solar photovoltaic and solar thermal requirements from 0.5 percent to 3 percent by 2024
• the solar ramp-up accelerates appreciably in the last 4-5 years (from 2020 to 2024)
• requires 100 percent of solar PV and solar thermal electricity to come from Pennsylvania sources in meeting the 3 percent requirement
• solar photovoltaic requirements until 2011 remain unchanged
3. Advanced Coal Combustion with Limited Carbon Emissions
• requires 3 percent of electricity sold starting in 2015 to come from advanced coal combustion with limited carbon facilities
• for a plant to qualify, it must capture carbon as follows:
• 40 percent from June 2015 through May 2019
• 60 percent from June 2019 through May 202
• 90 percent from 2024 and thereafter
4. Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Network
• DCNR may lease state forest land to a developer/operator, all rents from the lease will go to the Environmental Stewardship Fund
• DCNR shall charge fees to cover costs and insurance
• network shall be only for carbon captured in state
• DCNR and DGS shall insure network as they deem appropriate
• plant owners are immune from liability for carbon stored in a state facility which meets the 3 percent requirement, but not beyond
• DEP shall develop regulations for siting and operation of network.

House Bill 80 would increase Tier I requirements in Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards to 15 percent by 2024. Tier I requirements are the proportion of electricity that electric distribution companies must purchase from renewable sources such as wind and solar. The requirement is now 8 percent by 2020.

The bill also would increase the share of energy electric companies must obtain from solar photovoltaic sources to 3 percent by 2024. The requirement is now 0.5 percent by 2020.

The bill also would require the establishment of a framework for a carbon dioxide capture and sequestration network to receive, via pipeline, carbon dioxide captured from power plants.

Click here to read the text of the bill.

Click here to read the status of the bill and read the amendments.

Click here to read Rep. Vitali's latest guest column about H.B. 80.

Special Session House Bill 1, Passed As Act 1 of 2008- Alternative Energy Investment Act

This act establishes a fund, totaling $650 million, which will provide money to homeowners and business owners striving to become more energy efficient.

Act 1 will provide grants, loans and rebates to help consumers with the cost of installing solar energy technology and increasing the energy efficiency of homes and businesses—something that is increasingly important as the costs for electricity, fuels and natural gas continue to increase.

This fund includes: $92.5 million so homeowners and small business owners can cover 25 percent of the cost of purchasing and installing energy conservation tools and weatherizing buildings, $100 million to cover up to 35 percent of the costs residential consumers and small businesses incur for installing solar energy technology, $25 million for homeowners and small businesses to renovate an existing building to improve its energy efficiency; and $5 million to support an Energy Efficiency Loan Fund.

Homeowners and businesses seeking new ways to produce and conserve energy can now register for email updates as information on Pennsylvania’s new $650 million Alternative Energy Investment Fund becomes available. Click here to register, and click on the green envelope icon on the left-hand side of the page.

A full listing of current programs, including details, eligibility, and applications may be here.

SB 266, Passed as Act 70 of 2008 – Pennsylvania’s Climate Change Act

Act provides an important framework for Pennsylvania’s response to global warming.  It requires a report on the expected impacts of climate change on Pennsylvania as well as the economic opportunities, an annual inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, a voluntary registry for businesses and organizations to record emissions reductions, a stakeholder process, and a climate change action plan for the Commonwealth.

HB 2200, Passed as Act 129 of 2008 – Conservation and Smart Meters

Act 129 establishes energy conservation programs in the service territory of each electric utility in Pennsylvania. It requires that utilities work with customers to reduce overall electricity use by 1 percent by 2011 and 3 percent by 2013. By 2013, utilities must also cut energy use 4.5 percent during peak demand periods.

The electric utilities will be offering customers new pricing plans that reward customers who shift heavy use to off-peak hours. Customers can now choose between three pricing plans— the traditional rate plan (the same cost regardless of when energy is used), a plan that offers a peak rate and an off-peak rate, and a plan that would offer bills on real-time pricing, or the actual cost of energy every hour.

Additionally, the new act will require that every home and business in the state be equipped with “smart meters” within 15 years. A smart meter gives consumers the information they need to better control their energy consumption, such as the current cost of power or whether they are in a peak rate period. With this information, consumers can choose to use energy when it is cheapest and cut back at times when it is most expensive.