KEEA Commends PRESS and PACER Bills Announced by Governor Shapiro
March 13, 2024 – The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA, www.keealliance.org) is a 501(c)6 trade organization that, along with our sister organization in New Jersey, represents 68 firms doing energy efficiency work in the PA/NJ area. KEEA Executive Director Jeaneen Zappa released the following statements on the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS) and the Pennsylvania Carbon Emissions Reduction (PACER) Program, two proposed clean energy bills just announced by Governor Josh Shapiro.
KEEA Executive Director Jeaneen Zappa stated:
“We commend Governor Shapiro for introducing PRESS and PACER today. Pennsylvania needs both a strong clean energy portfolio standard and a cap-and-invest program. Both will work together to lower greenhouse gas emissions, create energy jobs, and provide reliable, affordable energy to consumers.
Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS)
“Governor Shapiro’s PRESS proposal is an important step towards bringing more clean energy and energy efficiency business to the Commonwealth. PRESS will require electric distribution companies to source 35% of the electricity they sell from renewable sources, by means of alternative energy credits, by 2035. In addition, 10% must be sourced from ‘tier 2’ resources, including efficiency measures such as demand response. Including efficiency in PRESS incentivizes efficiency improvements that benefit consumers throughout the state.
“We look forward to working through the legislative details of the PRESS proposal, including complementary consumer protections that ensure the clean energy transition works for all residents of Pennsylvania.”
Pennsylvania Carbon Emissions Reduction (PACER) Program
“Pennsylvania needs a cap-and-invest system that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electric power generation and generate clean energy investment funds. Governor Shapiro’s working group identified this strategy as the right path for Pennsylvania last year. The proposed PACER Program is a cap-and-invest system.
“While KEEA maintains that participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is the simplest and most effective way to achieve the governor’s three-part test, we are open to an alternative that meets or exceeds the benefits Pennsylvania would accrue from participating in RGGI. A cap-and-invest strategy remains one of the best routes for supporting the Commonwealth’s vital energy efficiency industry, which employs nearly 70,000 Pennsylvanians and creates energy savings every day.
“We appreciate Governor Shapiro’s commitment to pollution reduction, job creation, consumer protection, and community investment demonstrated through PRESS and PACER. We call on the legislature to work with the governor to achieve those goals.”
About KEEA
The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA) and the Energy Efficiency Alliance of New Jersey (EEA-NJ) are a joint 501(c)6 trade organization representing 68 member businesses and collaborating organizations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Their shared mission is to champion energy efficiency as the foundation of a clean, just, and resilient energy economy. KEEA and EEA-NJ envision a world in which energy efficiency anchors all efforts to meet our ongoing energy needs, improve health and comfort, promote energy equity, and protect our climate.