|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
CONTACT:
Nicole Reigelman |
State Rep. Elisabeth “Lisa”
Bennington |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bennington launches ‘25 by 2025’ energy plan
HARRISBURG, Sept. 17 – As the legislature officially kicked off its special session on energy this week, state Rep. Lisa Bennington was among the first in line to introduce a proposal aimed at expanding the use of alternative energy.
Bennington, D-Allegheny, said her bill would update the Alternative Energy Portfolio Act of 2004, which was designed to increase the amount of energy generated from renewable and environmentally beneficial sources by setting timelines to meet specific goals.
Bennington’s legislation (S.S.H.B. 13), referred to as “25 by ‘25,” would require 25 percent of energy sold in Pennsylvania to be alternative energy by the year 2025. In addition, the bill would boost the solar energy requirement to 1.5 percent in 2025.
The 2004 law divided types of energy into categories, or tiers, and specified goals to reach by 2020. Bennington said that law provided the state with a vision of the future but needs to be updated.
Under the 2004 law, tier 1, which includes pure renewable energy sources like wind, "low impact" hydropower and methane, was set to be at 8 percent by 2020 and solar power had to reach 0.5 percent. Bennington’s proposal would roughly triple the percentage of renewable energy Pennsylvania must use by 2025, and it would create a third tier to consider energy efficiency as a reasonable way to meet the 2025 goal.
Tier 2, which includes large impact hydropower and waste coal, had a goal set for 10 percent by 2020, and remains unchanged.
“These are lofty goals, but our state’s future is dependent on our ability to produce energy from renewable sources. It is time to update the Alternative Energy Portfolio Act of 2004 with more meaningful standards,” Bennington said. “These goals will be challenging, but I am confident that technology is moving in a direction that will make this goal easier as time goes on. At the same time, reliance on foreign energy sources is becoming more risky for our economy and our national security – the price of crude oil recently hit an all-time high of more than $80 per barrel.
“I want Pennsylvania to maintain its position as a national leader on energy issues, and this special session allows the legislature to devote time specifically to this topic and to partner with stakeholders and experts on the best way to influence the future.”
###nr/2007/agh l:\print\releases\25x25.021