PRINTER'S NO. 3702
No. 681 Session of 2004
INTRODUCED BY GEORGE, THOMAS, BEBKO-JONES, BELFANTI, BROWNE,
CAWLEY, CORRIGAN, CURRY, DALEY, DeLUCA, DeWEESE, FABRIZIO,
GERGELY, GOOD, GOODMAN, KELLER, MANDERINO, MARKOSEK, MYERS,
PALLONE, PETRARCA, PISTELLA, READSHAW, ROONEY, SATHER,
SHANER, SOLOBAY, SURRA, TIGUE, WALKO, WASHINGTON, WHEATLEY,
WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND YUDICHAK, APRIL 13, 2004
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
APRIL 13, 2004
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Office of Energy and Technology Development of the
2 Department of Environmental Protection to convene an Energy
3 Summit to explore solutions to relieve Pennsylvanians from
4 high home heating bills and to discuss options for addressing
5 this problem in the long-term.
6 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's federally funded Low-Income Home
7 Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is currently limited to
8 households at 135% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines or
9 below, excluding approximately 600,000 households between 135%
10 and 150% of the poverty level and even greater numbers above
11 150%; and
12 WHEREAS, The cost of heating fuel has been dramatically
13 increasing for the last five years due to increased demand for
14 natural gas and the instability of global petroleum prices; and
15 WHEREAS, Almost 295,000 Pennsylvania households received
16 federally funded LIHEAP relief in 2002, and 306,750 households
17 are predicted to receive assistance in the 2004 program year;
1 and
2 WHEREAS, Last year many states were forced to stop their
3 LIHEAP distributions due to delays or cuts in their Federal
4 allocation, indicating that Federal assistance for home heating
5 may not always be sufficient or reliable; and
6 WHEREAS, According to a survey by the Campaign for Home
7 Energy Assistance, 78% of Americans believe it is more difficult
8 for low-income families to pay their heating bills than five
9 years ago and 89% support financial assistance to alleviate this
10 problem; and
11 WHEREAS, Approximately 60% of LIHEAP recipients are older
12 adults and Social Security recipients, 19% are on Supplemental
13 Security Income and 25% are among the working poor; and
14 WHEREAS, While there are several private organizations,
15 including the Dollar Energy Fund, which assist people not
16 eligible for LIHEAP or in cases of emergency need, these
17 organizations provide no aid to people using deliverable fuels
18 such as heating oil, propane, coal, kerosene and wood, and have
19 insufficient scope and funding to address the numerous home
20 heating difficulties experienced by Pennsylvanians; and
21 WHEREAS, A sizable percentage of Pennsylvanians in rural
22 areas, and more than 50% of Pennsylvanians in the south central
23 and Susquehanna regions, rely on deliverable fuels to heat their
24 homes; and
25 WHEREAS, Because deliverable fuels lie outside the
26 jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission,
27 supplies or service of these fuels may be suspended or
28 terminated, leaving customers without heat during the winter;
29 and
30 WHEREAS, The vast majority of people who rely on deliverable
20040H0681R3702 - 2 -
1 fuels use fuel oil, propane, kerosene and other petroleum
2 derived products, the prices of which have risen steadily since
3 2001, peaked during the winter months and are expected to
4 continue rising into the foreseeable future; and
5 WHEREAS, Apart from LIHEAP, Pennsylvania has no Statewide
6 public or private sector program aimed at deliverable fuel users
7 and capable of providing adequate assistance for these
8 households in an emergency; and
9 WHEREAS, Even residents of this Commonwealth who heat their
10 homes with fuels regulated by the Pennsylvania Public Utility
11 Commission, where there are private sector charities offering
12 assistance, are facing sharply higher heating bills because of a
13 recent 30% increase in the price of gas; therefore be it
14 RESOLVED, That the Office of Energy and Technology
15 Development of the Department of Environmental Protection
16 convene an Energy Summit, within three to six months of the
17 passage of this resolution, composed of government officials and
18 representatives of energy companies, academic institutions,
19 environmental and consumer groups and open to all civic-minded
20 individuals, to discuss the following:
21 (1) Establishment of a State-funded program to provide
22 financial assistance to those Pennsylvanians with incomes too
23 high to qualify for LIHEAP funds and to dispense supplemental
24 funding to needy households in the event of an emergency.
25 (2) Resources and policies needed for the development of
26 a Statewide charitable effort to assist needy families who
27 cannot afford heating oil, propane or similar fuels in the
28 middle of the winter.
29 (3) An initiative to provide education about and promote
30 the purchase of heating fuel at times when prices are low, as
20040H0681R3702 - 3 -
1 in the summer months.
2 (4) An organized effort to educate Pennsylvania
3 residents on heating conservation, which helps to lower
4 energy bills and results in savings throughout this
5 Commonwealth.
6 (5) An investigation and promotion of alternative energy
7 solutions for home heating in the present and the future;
8 and
9 be it further
10 RESOLVED, That the Energy Summit transmit a report of its
11 findings to the General Assembly within two weeks following the
12 conclusion of the summit.
D5L82DMS/20040H0681R3702 - 4 -