PRINTER'S NO. 1996
No. 224 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY BARD, TULLI, HERSHEY, PERZEL, DALEY, GEIST,
RUBLEY, ARMSTRONG, BASTIAN, BELARDI, BELFANTI, CALTAGIRONE,
CAPPABIANCA, CLYMER, CORRIGAN, CREIGHTON, DeLUCA, GABIG,
GEORGE, HANNA, HERMAN, HESS, LaGROTTA, LAUGHLIN, McILHATTAN,
METCALFE, RAYMOND, READSHAW, SCHULER, SOLOBAY, SURRA, TIGUE,
WATSON, R. STEVENSON, TANGRETTI, HUTCHINSON, YUDICHAK, MANN
AND JOSEPHS, MAY 22, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MAY 22, 2001
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish a
2 working group to develop an energy strategy for Pennsylvania
3 that promotes the efficient use of energy by residential,
4 commercial, industrial, government, transportation and power
5 generation users within this Commonwealth and promotes the
6 development and production of new sources of petroleum and
7 alternatives to petroleum products within this Commonwealth.
8 WHEREAS, Previous administrations of the Federal Government
9 resolved to free the United States from dependence upon foreign
10 petroleum by promoting energy conservation and efficiency and
11 developing new, domestic energy sources; and
12 WHEREAS, As headlines of oil crises fade into obscurity, so
13 too have Federal Government actions to decrease United States
14 reliance on imported petroleum products; and
15 WHEREAS, The national security implications of United States
16 dependence on foreign oil influences foreign policy decisions
17 affecting Israel, other Mideastern countries, Russia and many
18 other of the world's hot spots; and
1 WHEREAS, Our day-to-day, pervasive dependence on foreign
2 petroleum is ignored at great peril to our national economic
3 security; and
4 WHEREAS, Tightening in petroleum markets and spikes in
5 gasoline and heating oil prices offer new opportunities to focus
6 on United States dependence on petroleum imports and the need to
7 develop alternative domestic energy sources and technologies;
8 and
9 WHEREAS, The interests of state governments are the same as
10 the Federal Government in regard to lessening United States
11 dependence on foreign petroleum; and
12 WHEREAS, State governments should provide the leadership for
13 developing energy policies emphasizing the increased efficiency
14 of energy use, the increased development and production of new
15 domestic energy sources and the increased awareness of energy
16 use on the environment and the economy, and these state
17 government policies should provide direction for the private
18 sector; and
19 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth should be at the forefront of the
20 movement to formulate state energy policies with these important
21 objectives in mind; therefore be it
22 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
23 State Government Commission to establish a working group to
24 develop an energy strategy for Pennsylvania that promotes the
25 efficient use of energy by residential, commercial, industrial,
26 government, transportation and power generation users within
27 this Commonwealth and promotes the development and production of
28 new sources of petroleum and alternatives to petroleum products
29 within this Commonwealth; and be it further
30 RESOLVED, That the working group evaluate the energy
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1 strategy's effects upon the environment and economy of this
2 Commonwealth; and be it further
3 RESOLVED, That the working group be comprised of legislators,
4 academics, scientists, representatives of State and local
5 government, experts in the production and use of traditional and
6 alternative energy, experts in environmental and economic issues
7 related to energy and other such experts as may be necessary;
8 and be it further
9 RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission report
10 its findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives
11 as soon as possible.
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