PRINTER'S NO. 1164
No. 134 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY SCHWARTZ, COSTA, MELLOW, WAGNER, STACK, FERLO,
MUSTO, KUKOVICH, KASUNIC, WOZNIAK, LOGAN, TARTAGLIONE, O'PAKE
AND BOSCOLA, SEPTEMBER 16, 2003
REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
SEPTEMBER 16, 2003
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing a need to study Pennsylvania's power grid in light
2 of the power outage of August 2003, to include a review of
3 the State's transmission and distribution system.
4 WHEREAS, Although most of Pennsylvania was successfully
5 isolated from the cascading blackouts of the power outage of
6 August 2003, some 100,000 customers in the State lost electrical
7 service; and
8 WHEREAS, The outage left many residents of the northeastern
9 portion of the United States without electricity and/or water
10 and had the potential of endangering the health and welfare of
11 large numbers of citizens; and
12 WHEREAS, In the wake of the events of September 11, 2001, our
13 nation and our State must be particularly vigilant of the
14 operation of its systems for generation, transmission and
15 distribution of all types of power; and
16 WHEREAS, Public oversight of those companies that generate,
17 purchase and distribute power for Pennsylvania is essential to
1 ensure the safety and comfort of our citizens; and
2 WHEREAS, President Bush believes strongly that a
3 comprehensive solution to power outage problems must be
4 developed and that patchwork crisis management is not an
5 adequate solution; and
6 WHEREAS, Conservation and a wider use of programs whose
7 purposes are to coordinate power consumption are essential to a
8 long-range solution; therefore be it
9 RESOLVED, That the Committee on Consumer Protection and
10 Professional Licensure take immediate steps to identify
11 potential problems in Pennsylvania's power grid and to make
12 recommendations for appropriate future action to ensure adequate
13 distribution of power in this Commonwealth; and be it further
14 RESOLVED, That the action of the committee include, but not
15 be limited to, holding hearings to review the causes of the
16 August 2003 power outage and to determine the adequacy or
17 inadequacy of the State's response to the crisis, receiving
18 testimony from a representative of the Pennsylvania Public
19 Utility Commission on these issues, receiving information from
20 at least the five major power companies operating in or
21 servicing Pennsylvania concerning their capital budgets for
22 transmission and distribution of energy and, in particular,
23 receiving a report from PJM on the State's transmission system
24 to review the role, if any, of First Energy of Ohio in the
25 crisis, formulating long-range proposals for conservation and
26 coordination of power consumption in this Commonwealth; and be
27 it further
28 RESOLVED, That the committee prepare a report for
29 distribution to the Governor's Office, members of the
30 Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the Consumer Advocate,
20030S0134R1164 - 2 -
1 the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the House of
2 Representatives, along with a summary of the committee's
3 findings and recommendations, said report to be prepared by
4 January 1, 2004.
I4L82JAM/20030S0134R1164 - 3 -