Pennsylvania businesses applaud new energy efficiency bill; SB 1236 would save customers $248 million.
DELAWARE COUNTY – Today, a bi-partisan group of legislators led by Senator Tom McGarrigle (R-Delaware County) announced plans to modernize a decade-old policy aimed at incentivizing Pennsylvania’s businesses and residents to reduce their energy consumption. Pennsylvania businesses applauded the bill, SB 1236, which would allow utilities to expand investment into energy efficiency programs for residents and businesses under Act 129. These programs, which offer rebates and incentives for energy efficient improvements and equipment, have delivered 6.4 billion in benefits to Pennsylvania electric customers from 2009-2015.
An analysis conducted for the Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance showed that expanding utility energy efficiency investment, as SB 1236 allows, could deliver at least $240 million in additional benefits to Pennsylvania electric customers. “Investments into energy efficiency are among the best our state can make,” said KEEA policy director Julian Boggs. “But current state law actually limits the amount of investment utilities can make into cost-saving energy efficiency measures like LED lighting, heating and cooling upgrades, and industrial processes. SB 1236 is a commonsense step forward to save Pennsylvania households and businesses money on their energy bills.”
KEEA pointed to the potential for SB 1236 to create local jobs. According the PA Clean Jobs Report, efficiency accounts for more than 65,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, across diverse fields such as engineering, sales, manufacturing, technology and construction. Expansion of Pennsylvania’s cornerstone energy efficiency policy will boost the industry, and savings generated through energy efficiency projects will allow local businesses to hire and grow.
KEEA also thanked SB 1236 co-sponsors Sen. Tom Killion (R-Delaware & Chester Counties), Camera Bartolotta (R – Washington County), Mario Scavello (R – Monroe & Pike Counties), Sen. Bob Mensch (R – Montgomery & Berks Counties), Sen. John Rafferty (R – Montgomery & Chester Counties), Sen. David Argall (R- Berks & Schuylkill Counties), Sen. John Blake (D – Lackawanna & Luzerne Counties), and Sen. Andrew Dinniman (D – Chester County).
The bill earned praise from a number of Pennsylvania businesses and national associations:
“The DMI Companies are continuously improving energy efficiency to build a better world for ourselves and our children by providing a sustainable environment through our products, operations and personal conduct. It is the right thing to do, and we applaud legislative leaders for taking this step to strengthen investment in energy efficiency across Pennsylvania.”
– Raymond Yeager, President, DMI Companies
“Johnson Controls has a long history in Pennsylvania of designing and manufacturing energy efficient products. We are also proud to deliver energy efficiency projects to customers across the state. This is important legislation that will encourage more investments in projects and save energy,”
– Mark Wagner, Vice President of Government Relations for Johnson Controls.”
“CCI works with several utility partners in Western Pennsylvania to help renters and homeowners reduce costs and usage. State programs for low-income energy customers combined with Act 129 bring the biggest impact and relief for neighbors whose energy costs represent a significant burden. Allowing utilities to invest more of their revenue in energy efficiency improvements, as this bill does, could help to introduce more diverse, creative or innovative conservation measures. These measures, such as robust improvements to household furnace motors, could help a number of homeowners significantly reduce their electricity use.”
– Jeaneen Zappa, Executive Director, Conservation Consultants, Inc.
“For energy service companies, SB 1236 will help make our products more competitive and make our services more robust. More importantly, it will help Pennsylvanians across the state cut energy waste, create jobs, and reinvest in our communities. Energy service companies support this bill because we want all Pennsylvania’s businesses to flourish.”
– Donald Gilligan, President, National Association of Energy Service Companies
“This important legislation will be a catalyst to advance residential energy savings in Pennsylvania,”
– Keith Aldridge, President of the Home Performance Coalition.
“Energy efficiency expenditures are always a good investment: for the budgets of Pennsylvania and the state’s energy providers and for citizens’ pocketbooks and well-being. The cap on energy efficiency investment is counterproductive and should be removed.”
– Tom Carter, Executive Director, Efficiency First