PRINTER'S NO. 151
No. 43 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY KASUNIC, MUSTO, STOUT, COSTA, O'PAKE, TARTAGLIONE,
KITCHEN, RAFFERTY, FONTANA, LOGAN, BROWNE, RHOADES AND
WOZNIAK, MARCH 5, 2007
REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, MARCH 5, 2007
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Governor to reestablish the Pennsylvania Energy
2 Office.
3 WHEREAS, Traditionally, residents of Pennsylvania have always
4 been large consumers of petroleum products; and
5 WHEREAS, Even with the increased use of alternative energy
6 sources, oil is used as a heating source for over 1 million
7 homes in this Commonwealth; and
8 WHEREAS, Pennsylvanians experienced mild winter temperatures
9 during the preceding decade and were unprepared for the
10 unusually cold temperatures encountered this past winter; and
11 WHEREAS, The unusually cold winter combined with the
12 reduction in the production of oil by foreign petroleum
13 suppliers has caused home heating oil prices to increase
14 dramatically since the fall, almost tripling in price; and
15 WHEREAS, The continued rise in oil prices has affected the
16 price of other petroleum distillates; and
17 WHEREAS, The cost of diesel fuel has increased drastically,
1 causing a disruption in the trucking industry which will lead to
2 increased cost to consumers for all goods in the marketplace;
3 and
4 WHEREAS, It is predicted that gasoline prices may rise to
5 $3.00 a gallon by the summer; and
6 WHEREAS, In 1974, in response to the oil embargo, the
7 Governor's Energy Council was established; and
8 WHEREAS, The council was replaced in 1987 by the Pennsylvania
9 Energy Office as an agency under the direction of the Governor
10 and chaired by the Lieutenant Governor; and
11 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Energy Office and its predecessor,
12 the Governor's Energy Council, were established to provide
13 resources and information on energy and energy alternatives and
14 were also responsible for monitoring supplies of petroleum
15 products; and
16 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Energy Office was disbanded in 1995
17 by Governor Thomas J. Ridge through Executive Order 1995-4; and
18 WHEREAS, The responsibilities of the Pennsylvania Energy
19 Office have been fragmented and assigned to several agencies,
20 including the Department of Environmental Protection, the
21 Governor's Policy Office and the Pennsylvania Emergency
22 Management Agency (PEMA); and
23 WHEREAS, In Executive Order 1995-4, Governor Ridge authorized
24 PEMA, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Mark Schweiker, to assume
25 the responsibility for monitoring supplies of petroleum products
26 in order to protect the health and safety of Pennsylvania
27 citizens and to prevent the interruption of supplies of
28 petroleum products; and
29 WHEREAS, PEMA has failed to monitor the supplies of petroleum
30 products and to provide any forecast on a shortage of the oil
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1 supply or increase in oil prices to the consumers of
2 Pennsylvania; and
3 WHEREAS, Interruptions in the supply of petroleum products to
4 Pennsylvania residents have occurred in the past and may occur
5 again in the future; and
6 WHEREAS, A central office is needed to provide information on
7 energy supplies and alternative resources in order to prevent
8 interruptions in petroleum supplies; and
9 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Energy Office proved to be an
10 efficient and effective resource in providing such information
11 which is vital to the health and welfare of the citizens of
12 Pennsylvania; therefore be it
13 RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the need for a central
14 office to implement energy programs which have long-term
15 positive impacts on the Commonwealth and its residents; and be
16 it further
17 RESOLVED, That the Senate urge the Governor to use the
18 executive power granted to him by the Constitution of
19 Pennsylvania and the laws of this Commonwealth to reestablish
20 the Pennsylvania Energy Office, with all the duties and
21 responsibilities empowered to the office prior to its 1995
22 disbanding; and be it further
23 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
24 the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor.
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