January 5, 2014
Pennsylvania

Proposal nearly doubles renewable renewable energy requirement

Written by Ben Allen and Radio Pennsylvania | Jan 5, 2014 | www.witf.org

(Harrisburg) – A legislative proposal calls for nearly doubling the amount of renewable energy use in Pennsylvania by 2022.

Democratic state Senator Daylin Leach of Montgomery County is sponsoring the measure, which amends a 2004 law concerning alternative energy sources.

He says renewable energy has led to a boon of venture capital funding in New Jersey, and a growing industry.

“Keep in mind, when you’re installing solar or wind, you almost use exclusively local labor because you have to have some people physically there to do that. Once you do that, the fuel itself is largely essentially free. It’s good for the consumer, it’s good for jobs, it’s good for the economy, and it’s good for the environment.”

But many studies, including one from a team of researchers at Penn State in 2011, finds without government subsidies or incentives, alternative energy costs would be higher than fossil fuel prices.

Leach’s bill is currently in the Senate’s Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/01/05/proposal-nearly-doubles-renewable-renewable-energy-requirement/