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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 11, 2019 10:33 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Thomas H. Killion |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Renewable Energy |
| In the near future, I will be introducing legislation that would provide for Pennsylvania’s transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. The intent of this legislation is to decrease greenhouse gases which in turn will reduce the levels of air, water, and land pollution in the Commonwealth. This legislation is imperative to creating Pennsylvania’s energy independence and security while simultaneously providing for private and public investment in clean energy and energy-efficient projects. The transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy would further provide for the creation of future jobs by harnessing a newly skilled workforce, giving academic institutions the opportunity to advance new fields of technology as they educate a new generation of Pennsylvania’s technology-based workforce. Under this proposal, a Clean Energy Transition Task Force, a Clean Energy Center of Excellence, and a Council for Clean Energy Workforce Development would be established and tasked with evaluating current pollution-related issues affecting the Commonwealth and its residents. The science has been clear: climate change is happening, the consequences will be severe, and it is caused by human activity. Two recently released reports put an even finer point on this, including one by the Trump Administration: the National Climate Assessment, which showed the dire threats that will face the planet if we don't take action. The Commonwealth is already feeling the effects of climate change. Dangerous summer heat waves and more intense rainfall have the potential to worsen as we continue to burn non-renewable energy sources. This legislation will go a long way towards maximizing the environmental and economic benefits of developing Pennsylvania’s renewable energy industry. This legislation will be similar to SB 1140 of the 2017-2018 Legislative Session which was introduced by Senator McIlhinney and was co-sponsored by the following Senators: Schwank, Hughes, Rafferty, Haywood, Killion, Leach, Dinniman, Yudichak, Williams, Farnese, Blake, Street, McGarrigle, Fontana and Sabatina. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation. |
Introduced as SB630