2024 State House Climate & Clean Energy Support Letter

June 28, 2024

Dear Democratic House Leaders,

As the 2024 budget season kicks into high gear, we are writing to ask that you continue to prioritize renewable energy legislation and climate solution policies by advocating to have them be included in any final budget agreement. 

The Democratic caucus has already led on a number of commonsense clean energy policies including: 

• Solar for Pennsylvania Schools (HB 1032)
• Community Solar legislation (HB 1842)
• Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards (HB1615 or SB755)
• Lake Erie Wind Development Act (HB 254)

At the same time, policies meant to achieve Gov. Shapiro’s Energy Plan have been introduced in both the state House and state Senate. This package of bills would renew and expand Pennsylvania’s now sunsetted Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard through the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (House Bill 2277 and Senate Bill 1190, also known as “PRESS”), and make climate polluters pay for their pollution through the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Program (House Bill 2275 and Senate Bill 1191, also known as “PACER”). 

Ensuring the passage of these proposals before the 2023-2024 legislative session ends would deliver a quadruple win for Pennsylvanians: they reduce air and climate pollution, they can save consumers money on their utility bills, they can improve grid reliability, and they can spur growth in the renewable energy economy. Given that Pennsylvania ranks 50th out of 51 for the amount of new renewable energy brought online over the past decade, we are being left behind while other states take advantage of the growth in this economic sector. 

Thank you in advance for your commitment and request that these proposals be prioritized during budget discussions and negotiations, in order to protect our planet, health and spark the clean energy economy. 

Sincerely,

Representative Jessica Benham

Representative Lisa Borowski

Representative Tim Briggs

Representative Danilo Burgos

Representative Scott Conklin

Representative Mary Jo Daley

Representative Elizabeth Fiedler

Representative Dan Frankel

Representative Robert Freeman

Representative Nancy Guenst

Representative Liz Hanbidge

Representative Hill-Evans

Representative Joe Hohenstein

Representative Kristine Howard

Representative Mary Louise Isaacson 

Representative Tarik Khan

Representative Patty Kim

Representative Rick Krajewski

Representative Steve Malagari

Representative La’Tasha Mayes

Representative Robert Merski

Representative Napoleon Nelson

Representative Jennifer O’Mara

Representative Danielle Friel Otten

Representative Chris Pielli

Representative Lindsay Powell

Representative Tarah Probst

Representative Abigail Salisbury

Representative Steve Samuelson

Representative Christina Sappey

Representative Ben Sanchez

Representative Melissa Shusterman

Representative Greg Scott

Representative Paul Takac

Representative Perry Warren

Representative Ben Waxman

Representative Joe Webster

Representative Greg Vitali