PRINTER'S NO. 3254
No. 2428 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY McCALL, PETRONE, BARD, BATTISTO, ARGALL, BEBKO- JONES, BELFANTI, BROWNE, CAPPABIANCA, CAWLEY, M. COHEN, COLAFELLA, CORRIGAN, COY, DALEY, DeWEESE, EACHUS, FRANKEL, GEIST, GEORGE, GRUCELA, HALUSKA, HERMAN, HORSEY, LAUGHLIN, LEVDANSKY, MANDERINO, MELIO, MYERS, PETRARCA, PISTELLA, RAMOS, READSHAW, SEMMEL, SHANER, SOLOBAY, STABACK, STEELMAN, STURLA, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRELLO, WALKO, WASHINGTON, WILLIAMS, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND YUDICHAK, MARCH 22, 2000
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, MARCH 22, 2000
AN ACT 1 Establishing a State Energy Office and providing for its powers 2 and duties; and making repeals. 3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 4 hereby enacts as follows: 5 Section 1. Short title. 6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the State Energy 7 Office Act. 8 Section 2. Definitions. 9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall 10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the 11 context clearly indicates otherwise: 12 "Council." The Advisory Council established under this act. 13 "Office." The State Energy Office established under this 14 act.
1 Section 3. Establishment. 2 The State Energy Office is established in the Governor's 3 Office to promote the goals of energy development and energy 4 conservation. 5 Section 4. Composition of office. 6 (a) Chairperson.--The Governor will be the chairperson of 7 the office. 8 (b) Executive director and staff.--The Governor will 9 designate an executive director and hire the staff of the office 10 in accordance with procedures of the Governor's Office of 11 Administration and of the Office of the Budget. 12 Section 5. Advisory council. 13 An advisory council will be appointed by the Governor to be 14 composed of members of the General Assembly, the business and 15 transportation community of this Commonwealth, public officials 16 and the general public. The purpose of the council is to provide 17 advice and assistance to the office on matters affecting the 18 State's energy situation. Advisory council members will be 19 reimbursed for the expense of participating in advisory council 20 functions. 21 Section 6. Powers and duties of office. 22 The powers and duties of the office are as follows: 23 (1) To promote the development of this Commonwealth's 24 indigenous and renewable energy resources through programs 25 involving information and technical and financial assistance. 26 (2) To promote the efficient use of energy by the State 27 government and all sectors of this Commonwealth. Working with 28 the Governor's Green Government Council, the office will 29 encourage energy efficiency and conservation through programs 30 providing information and technical and financial assistance. 20000H2428B3254 - 2 -
1 The office will also work with the Pennsylvania Public 2 Utility Commission to develop specific programs to promote 3 energy efficiency for commercial, industrial and residential 4 consumers of deregulated utilities, such as natural gas and 5 electricity. 6 (3) To be the point of contract for private and 7 government energy matters and the lead Commonwealth agency 8 for energy policy development. The office will regularly 9 update the Commonwealth's energy policy to determine new 10 opportunities for energy development and energy conservation. 11 (4) To be the primary manager and coordinator of Federal 12 energy grants, petroleum overcharge funds and private energy 13 grants. 14 (5) To assist in the review of energy-related plans, 15 programs, policies and regulations of other Commonwealth 16 agencies and to provide recommendations to further promote 17 energy development and energy conservation. The office is 18 authorized to intervene in energy-related proceedings of the 19 Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and other Federal or 20 State regulatory agencies. 21 (6) To monitor prices of petroleum and supplies of 22 petroleum products available for use in this Commonwealth to 23 determine whether there exists or is likely to exist an 24 emergency shortage under section 2802-C(d) of the act of 25 April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative 26 Code of 1929, and to conduct emergency allocation measures 27 during a period of declared emergency petroleum product 28 shortage under section 2802-C of The Administrative Code of 29 1929. The office will also monitor the price and supply of 30 energy to provide information to the Governor on the changing 20000H2428B3254 - 3 -
1 impact of energy prices on the Commonwealth's economy. 2 (7) To assume the responsibilities assigned to the 3 Department of Environmental Protection under the act of June 4 28, 1995 (P.L.89, No.18), known as the Conservation and 5 Natural Resources Act, which had been assigned to the 6 Pennsylvania Energy Office under prior statutes, regulations 7 and executive orders, including the administration of the 8 funds transferred to the department under section 507 of that 9 act. 10 (8) To promote the establishment of a regional strategic 11 heating oil and diesel fuel reserve in the mid-Atlantic 12 states and other programs that ensure that energy shortages 13 or price surges do not harm the Commonwealth's economy. 14 Section 7. Repeals. 15 Sections 504, 507 and 508 of the act of June 28, 1995 16 (P.L.89, No.18), known as the Conservation and Natural Resources 17 Act, are repealed. 18 Section 8. Effective date. 19 This act shall take effect in 60 days. C17L27MRD/20000H2428B3254 - 4 -