Issues
Pursuing alternative energy shouldn’t come at the expense of jobs, innovation and consumer choice
House Bill 2405, introduced in May by state Rep. Eugene DePasquale, is likely to force Pennsylvania residents and businesses to pay much higher energy prices. HB 2405 is almost identical to H.B. 80, which thanks in part to the efforts of Citizens to Protect PA Jobs, has stalled in the state House.
The new bill, which advanced from a House committee the week of June 7, could be up for a vote by the full House in the coming days. It would expand renewable energy mandates contained in the yet-to-be-fully implemented 2004 Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS). That law mandates the use of certain percentages of high-cost alternative "clean" energy, such as solar and wind.
If approved, H.B. 2405 could increase the cost of residential and business electricity purchases by anywhere from $8 billion to $12 billion. This means added cost pressures for individuals and job creators.
The difference of opinion that exists over the new bill (H.B. 2405) is not a debate about the value of alternative energy — it’s about the best approach to energy policy. After all, Pennsylvania and the nation will need all forms of energy – both alternative and traditional sources, including nuclear – to meet current and future demand.
But having government mandate the types and percentages of alternative energy well into the future limits consumer choice and stifles innovation. How can government accurately know what viable forms of alternative energy will be a few years down the road?
If consumers want to pay more for alternative energy, they can currently choose to do so as a result of deregulation. Under H.B. 2405, choice would be eliminated. Consumers would be forced into paying for more costly energy sources.
Please click here to contact your state representative today.
Urge your elected official to embrace an energy strategy that includes both traditional and renewable sources within the framework of the free enterprise system – not mandates. Tell him or her that the Commonwealth and its residents will be best served by allowing innovation and consumer choice to determine viable and affordable options, and that redistributing private sector wealth to uncompetitive and unsustainable energy providers will discourage economic growth. The resulting higher electricity prices will hurt small businesses and consumers, resulting in fewer jobs.
The reasons for the opposition are obvious, and we urge you to contact your elected official and tell him or her to vote "NO" on H.B. 2405.
