Important Legislation

Twenty years after leading the nation with the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS), Pennsylvania now ranks 45th in clean energy investment and risks falling behind as energy demand grows.

The Governor’s Lightning Plan and the updated Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS) aim to expand clean, reliable, and affordable energy sources — including wind, solar, hydropower, nuclear, battery storage, and lower-emission natural gas technologies.

This revitalized energy standard will strengthen grid reliability, create jobs, protect consumers from rising energy costs, and position Pennsylvania as a long-term energy leader.

Learn more about the bill here.

What the bill does:

For one reason or another (they are renters, have shaded roofs, etc.), many people cannot put solar panels on their property. Community solar allows those people to purchase or lease a “share” in a community solar project and receive a credit on their monthly electricity bill for energy produced by that share. Right now, community solar is not allowed under Pennsylvania law, but HB 504 would change that and allow over 230 community solar projects.

Why we support it:

Right now, only 0.5% of Pennsylvania’s electricity comes from solar energy, which is one of the lowest rates in the country. HB 504 would go a long way toward unlocking the potential for solar development in Pennsylvania. And community solar isn’t just good for the climate, it’s good for Pennsylvania’s economy, and is one of the only ways low-income residents can afford to get solar energy. A Penn State study estimated that a bill authorizing community solar would add 12,000 jobs and $1.8 billion of investment to Pennsylvania’s economy.

What you can do:

While HB 504 has bipartisan support, it’s been stuck in the General Assembly for nearly a year. Your voice could be very important to getting this bill over the top.

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR

Learn more about the bill here.

Pennsylvanians have a constitutional right to clean, safe drinking water.

PFAS — man-made chemicals used in manufacturing many products since the 1940s — have been linked to several health risks, including low infant birth weight, weakened immune systems, cancers, and more. PFAS can enter our bodies through the air we breathe, food we eat, and water we drink.

This bill would amend the PA Safe Drinking Water act to reduce the maximum allowed levels of PFAS in drinking water, ensuring “that Pennsylvania residents will be protected from all PFAS contaminants regardless of federal actions.”

Learn more about the bill here.

Energy efficiency standards for appliances can help Pennsylvania reduce pollution, conserve water, and lower utility costs.

HB 660 would set efficiency and water-conservation standards for certain residential and commercial appliances, potentially saving consumers $294 million annually, conserving more than 9 billion gallons of water, and reducing climate pollution by an estimated 384 tons. The required products are already available and competitively priced.

An analysis of data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) estimates that at least 95% of Americans have PFAS chemicals in their bodies.

This bill would direct the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to conduct a study on the presence of PFAS, commonly known as "forever chemicals," in biosolids. The study would examine the potential risks that land-applied biosolids pose to the accumulation of PFAS in our soil, food, groundwater, and drinking water supplies, and would identify potential ways to reduce PFAS contamination and exposure.

Learn more about the bill here.

This bill would require warehouses and distribution centers in Pennsylvania to be solar-ready and would provide a tax credit for existing warehouses and distribution centers to become solar-ready, taking advantage of the rise of e-commerce and helping to relieve financial burdens on hardworking families.

“Warehouses and distribution centers offer ample real estate to advance solar energy, increase Pennsylvania’s share of electricity generated by renewable sources, create high-paying jobs, and lower utility bills for consumers. “

Learn more about the bill here.

Concrete manufacturing accounts for approximately 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, thereby causing substantial climate risks.

The bill offers direct rebates to concrete producers that use low-emitting materials and cleaner production methods verified by third-party environmental product declarations. These incentives apply only to concrete used in Pennsylvania-funded projects.

To learn more about HB 1711, click here.

To learn more about LECCA, click here.

To learn more about the Concrete Innovation Act, click here.

Data centers are an important component of modern day technology. They also consume an enormous amount of energy, increasing utility costs for hardworking families and threatening grid reliability. 

From establishing oversight by state regulators to procuring reliable clean energy sources and establishing energy affordability support, this bill would establish a statewide framework to regulate data centers in Pennsylvania. With this bill, data centers would help address the energy demand they create rather than placing the burden on consumers.

Learn more about the bill here.

This legislation would regulate next-generation geothermal energy development in Pennsylvania by:

1. Authorizing the DEP to regulate geothermal injection wells and create a permitting process,

2. Defining “Geothermal Resources” to encompass all geothermal technologies,

3. Establishing subsurface ownership rights for geothermal resources,

4. Permitting abandoned oil and gas wells to be repurposed into geothermal wells.

This bill would also reduce costs for consumers, support economic growth, create new jobs for oil and gas workers, and secure our energy independence.

Pennsylvania is an energy leader, but needs to expand and diversify its energy portfolio to stay that way and ensure a healthier, safer, thriving future — economically and environmentally — for everyone.

Learn more about the bill here.

This bill prohibits the use of PFAS in cosmetics, dental floss, juvenile products, and menstrual products.

Many of these everyday products contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS,) which are a group of over 7,800 human-made chemicals that have been found to potentially cause serious health problems, such as cancer, immune system suppression, increased cholesterol levels, pregnancy-induced hypertension, liver damage, reduced fertility, and increased risk of thyroid disease.

Children may be at an even higher risk of PFAS-exposure as many products we use to take care of them also contain PFAS.

Learn more about the bill here.

HB 2198 repeals tax breaks for data center computer equipment.

Learn more here.

This bill stops for-profit utility companies from charging customers more than necessary to cover their costs and earn a reasonable profit, helping keep energy bills more affordable.

HB 2224 passed the House unanimously and has been sitting in the Senate CPPL.

Learn more here.

This bill would require electric utilities in Pennsylvania to include battery energy storage systems as part of their planning for meeting electricity demand. Utilities would be required to set battery storage targets and procure storage capacity to help improve grid reliability, reduce peak demand, and essentially lower energy costs for residents.

Several nearby states have already adopted this model and Pennsylvania cannot afford to fall behind, especially with rising energy demands from data centers.

Learn more about the bill here.

HB 2650 repeals data center development tax breaks.

Learn more about the bill here.

SB 1359 issues a three year moratorium on new data center developments. This bill is bipartisan sponsored.

Learn more here.