Renewable Energy Use Is Key To Pennsylvania’s Economic Future
Stronger Renewable Energy Standards Needed to Compete for Green Energy Projects, Create New Jobs.
Pennsylvania has an opportunity to re-establish itself this year as a leading clean energy state by strengthening its Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, Governor Edward G. Rendell told business and environmental leaders in Delaware County.
The act requires at least 18.5 percent of the retail electricity sold in Pennsylvania to be generated by alternative and renewable resources by 2021. When passed in 2004, it was one of the most ambitious such plans in the nation, but it has since been surpassed by other states.
As a result, Governor Rendell said Pennsylvania is now at a competitive disadvantage for securing multi-million dollar clean energy development projects that are producing the jobs of the future.
“We have made some remarkable progress in a very short period of time to make Pennsylvania a renewable energy leader,” said Governor Rendell. “We have been recognized as the second fastest growing state in the nation for wind power and we will rank in the top five states for solar in terms of megawatts operating by the end of 2010. Additionally, the commonwealth’s investments in approximately 560 projects have created nearly 9,000 jobs statewide.
“Much of that success was realized here in Pennsylvania because of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act we put into effect in 2004. As you know, though, the alternative energy field is changing rapidly and new developments are announced almost every day. Other states have raised the bar since 2004 by enacting more aggressive requirements for renewable energy.”
The Governor specifically cited examples such as Maryland and New Jersey which have adopted renewable energy requirements of 20 percent by 2022 and 22.5 percent by 2021, respectively. He also noted that Illinois—the seventh largest coal-producing state in the nation—has a 25 percent by 2025 requirement.
“We need to update our renewable energy requirements to maintain our place at the front of the pack when it comes to alternative energy development,” the Governor said. “That is why I support the idea of strengthening our Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard.”
The Governor explained that by requiring more renewable energy, Pennsylvania makes itself more attractive to investors looking for a reasonable assurance that demand will exist for the energy they produce.
He pointed to global renewable energy leaders like Gamesa and Iberdrola that have established operations and invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Pennsylvania, as well as companies like Exelon Generation that have committed to purchasing power from solar energy plants built in the state.
Additionally, he said producing a greater amount of renewable energy from sources such as wind and solar is good for the environment because both are free of climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.
“When other states enact higher requirements, it puts Pennsylvania’s competitiveness at risk,” said Governor Rendell. “We need to preserve our state’s position as a leader in alternative energy and protect our investments and the thousand of associated jobs by raising our requirements for renewable energy. A higher standard is good for the environment and it is good for Pennsylvania businesses and economy.”
For more information on Governor Rendell’s efforts to build a clean energy economy in Pennsylvania, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us.
Topics: business, clean energy, clean energy economy, economic development, economic growth, employment, energy, environment, Governance, government, green economy, greenhouse gas emissions, investment, jobs, leading clean energy state, Pennsylvania, renewable energy, Renewable Energy Standards, U.S., United States
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