PennEnvironment Letter of Support for HB 501: the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard

May 30, 2025

Dear members of the House Environmental & Natural Resources Protection Committee,

On behalf of PennEnvironment and our citizen members, activists and volunteers, I am writing in support of Representative Danielle Friel Otten’s “Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard” (also referred to as “PRESS”), House Bill 501. This policy would increase the amount of electricity that comes from clean, renewable energy sources like wind and solar power from utility companies supplying electricity to Pennsylvania customers.

As you likely know, Pennsylvania’s cornerstone renewable energy law (referred to as the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard or AEPS) “flatlined” four years ago, meaning that utility companies in Pennsylvania are no longer required to increase the annual percentage of electricity they produce from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. 

HB 501 would renew Pennsylvania’s AEPS and significantly increase the existing requirements for wind and solar energy under the state’s AEPS to 35% by 2035. 

This will make Pennsylvania more in line with neighboring states, where Maryland and New Jersey both have 50 percent renewable energy requirements in their respective states by 2030, New York requires 70 percent by 2030, and Washington D.C.’s law requires 100 percent renewable energy by 2032. 

Given that Pennsylvania ranks 49th out of 51 for the amount of new renewable energy brought online over the past decade, the Commonwealth is being left behind while other states take advantage of the growth in this economic sector. 

Increasing clean energy in Pennsylvania is essential for reducing air pollution, protecting public health, and tackling climate change. Diversifying the Commonwealth’s energy sources will also increase reliability across the grid. And bringing more diverse energy online will help stabilize electricity bills.

Moreover, Pennsylvanians from all walks of life and all regions of the Commonwealth are in favor of increasing renewable energy in the Keystone State. A recent poll found that 78% of registered voters (including 84% of Independents and 59% of Republicans) support the transition to renewable energy.

We need to rapidly move towards a clean, renewable energy future and increasing the amount of renewable energy in the state’s AEPS is a clear path forward. 

Given this, PennEnvironment asks you to vote in favor of House Bill 501.

Thank you in advance for your consideration and support, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with questions about this legislation or other PennEnvironment efforts. 

Flora Cardoni

Deputy Director