Monday, July 16th 2012

“The PUC will decide whether to continue on the path to a more sustainable, affordable energy future, or whether to slow down and start drifting back to a higher-cost resource mix.”
-Liz Robinson, Energy Coordinating Agency

The Pennsylvania Public Utility commission is currently weighing adjustments to Act 129, the 2008 legislation that mandated reduced peak and overall generation from Pennsylvania’s utilities. This goals outlined by this efficiency-based approach we’re easily met by all but one PA utility. Now the PUC must decide whether to continue the program by increasing the mandate or discontinue the successful program.

Between 2008 and 2013, when current mandates expire, the program will save PA rate-payers $278 million and create up to green 1,500 jobs. Furthermore, efficiency is cost-effective; saving a kWh costs a utility 1/3 that of creating a kWh through new generation.

Read Liz Robinson’s opinion piece in the Philadelphia Enquirer here…