See other bills
under the
same topic
        PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 16                          PRINTER'S NO. 39

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE BILL

No. 25 Special Session No. 1 of 2007-2008


        INTRODUCED BY WAUGH, PUNT, GREENLEAF, MUSTO, COSTA, M. WHITE,
           WOZNIAK, STOUT, MELLOW, ARMSTRONG, FOLMER, MADIGAN, ROBBINS,
           SCARNATI, VANCE, REGOLA AND RHOADES, OCTOBER 16, 2007

        AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, DECEMBER 4, 2007

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of November 30, 2004 (P.L.1672, No.213),
     2     entitled, "An act providing for the sale of electric energy
     3     generated from renewable and environmentally beneficial
     4     sources, for the acquisition of electric energy generated
     5     from renewable and environmentally beneficial sources by
     6     electric distribution and supply companies and for the powers
     7     and duties of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission,"
     8     further defining "alternative energy sources" and "Tier II
     9     alternative energy source." SOURCE"; AND FURTHER PROVIDING     <--
    10     FOR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PORTFOLIO STANDARDS.

    11     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    12  hereby enacts as follows:
    13     Section 1.  The definitions of "alternative energy sources"
    14  and "Tier II alternative energy source" in section 2 of the act
    15  of November 30, 2004 (P.L.1672, No.213), known as the
    16  Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, are amended to read:
    17  Section 2.  Definitions.
    18     The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
    19  have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
    20  context clearly indicates otherwise:
    21     * * *


     1     "Alternative energy sources."  The term shall include the
     2  following existing and new sources for the production of
     3  electricity:
     4         (1)  Solar photovoltaic or other solar electric energy.
     5         (2)  Solar thermal energy.
     6         (3)  Wind power.
     7         (4)  Large-scale hydropower, which shall mean the
     8     production of electric power by harnessing the hydroelectric
     9     potential of moving water impoundments, including pumped
    10     storage that does not meet the requirements of low-impact
    11     hydropower under paragraph (5).
    12         (5)  Low-impact hydropower consisting of any technology
    13     that produces electric power and that harnesses the
    14     hydroelectric potential of moving water impoundments,
    15     provided such incremental hydroelectric development:
    16             (i)  does not adversely change existing impacts to
    17         aquatic systems;
    18             (ii)  meets the certification standards established
    19         by the Low Impact Hydropower Institute and American
    20         Rivers, Inc., or their successors;
    21             (iii)  provides an adequate water flow for protection
    22         of aquatic life and for safe and effective fish passage;
    23             (iv)  protects against erosion; and
    24             (v)  protects cultural and historic resources.
    25     NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SUBPARAGRAPH (II), THE TERM  <--
    26     "LOW-IMPACT HYDROPOWER" SHALL ALSO INCLUDE A HYDROELECTRIC
    27     DEVELOPMENT WHICH HAS A NAMEPLATE CAPACITY OF 21 MEGAWATTS OR
    28     LESS AND HAS A LICENSE ISSUED BY THE FEDERAL ENERGY
    29     REGULATORY COMMISSION FOR THE HYDROPOWER SOURCE ON OR PRIOR
    30     TO JANUARY 1, 1984, AND WAS HELD IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY A
    20071S0025B0039                  - 2 -     

     1     MUNICIPALITY LOCATED WHOLLY WITHIN THIS COMMONWEALTH OR BY AN
     2     ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE WHOLLY WITHIN THIS COMMONWEALTH ON JULY
     3     1, 2007.
     4         (6)  Geothermal energy, which shall mean electricity
     5     produced by extracting hot water or steam from geothermal
     6     reserves in the earth's crust and supplied to steam turbines
     7     that drive generators to produce electricity.
     8         (7)  Biomass energy, which shall mean the generation of
     9     electricity utilizing the following:
    10             (i)  organic material from a plant that is grown for
    11         the purpose of being used to produce electricity or is
    12         protected by the Federal Conservation Reserve Program
    13         (CRP) and provided further that crop production on CRP
    14         lands does not prevent achievement of the water quality
    15         protection, soil erosion prevention or wildlife
    16         enhancement purposes for which the land was primarily set
    17         aside; or
    18             (ii)  any solid nonhazardous, cellulosic waste
    19         material that is segregated from other waste materials,
    20         such as waste pallets, crates and landscape or right-of-
    21         way tree trimmings or agricultural sources, including
    22         orchard tree crops, vineyards, grain, legumes, [sugar]
    23         sugars, lignins and other crop by-products or residues.    <--
    24         BIOMASS ENERGY SHALL ALSO MEAN THE GENERATION OF           <--
    25         ELECTRICITY UTILIZING BY-PRODUCTS OF THE PULPING PROCESS
    26         AND WOOD MANUFACTURING PROCESS, INCLUDING BARK, WOOD
    27         CHIPS, SAWDUST AND LIGNINS IN SPENT PULPING LIQUORS,
    28         PROVIDED THE ELECTRICITY IS GENERATED WITHIN THIS
    29         COMMONWEALTH.
    30         (8)  Biologically derived methane gas, which shall
    20071S0025B0039                  - 3 -     

     1     include methane from the anaerobic digestion of organic
     2     materials from yard waste, such as grass clippings and
     3     leaves, food waste, animal waste and sewage sludge. The term
     4     also includes landfill methane gas.
     5         (9)  Fuel cells, which shall mean any electrochemical
     6     device that converts chemical energy in a hydrogen-rich fuel
     7     directly into electricity, heat and water without combustion.
     8         (10)  Waste coal, which shall include the combustion of
     9     waste coal in facilities in which the waste coal was disposed
    10     or abandoned prior to July 31, 1982, or disposed of
    11     thereafter in a permitted coal refuse disposal site
    12     regardless of when disposed of, and used to generate
    13     electricity, or such other waste coal combustion meeting
    14     alternate eligibility requirements established by regulation.
    15     Facilities combusting waste coal shall use at a minimum a
    16     combined fluidized bed boiler and be outfitted with a
    17     limestone injection system and a fabric filter particulate
    18     removal system. Alternative energy credits shall be
    19     calculated based upon the proportion of waste coal utilized
    20     to produce electricity at the facility.
    21         (11)  Coal mine methane, which shall mean methane gas
    22     emitting from abandoned or working coal mines.
    23         (12)  Demand-side management consisting of the management
    24     of customer consumption of electricity or the demand for
    25     electricity through the implementation of:
    26             (i)  energy efficiency technologies, management
    27         practices or other strategies in residential, commercial,
    28         institutional or government customers that reduce
    29         electricity consumption by those customers;
    30             (ii)  load management or demand response
    20071S0025B0039                  - 4 -     

     1         technologies, management practices or other strategies in
     2         residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and
     3         government customers that shift electric load from
     4         periods of higher demand to periods of lower demand; or
     5             (iii)  industrial by-product technologies consisting
     6         of the use of a by-product from an industrial process,
     7         including the reuse of energy from exhaust gases or other
     8         manufacturing by-products that are used in the direct
     9         production of electricity at the facility of a customer.
    10         (13)  Distributed generation system, which shall mean the
    11     small-scale power generation of electricity and useful
    12     thermal energy.
    13     * * *
    14     "Tier II alternative energy source."  Energy derived from:
    15         (1)  Waste coal.
    16         (2)  Distributed generation systems.
    17         (3)  Demand-side management.
    18         (4)  Large-scale hydropower.
    19         (5)  Municipal solid waste.
    20         [(6)  Generation of electricity utilizing by-products of   <--
    21     the pulping process and wood manufacturing process, including
    22     bark, wood chips, sawdust and lignin in spent pulping
    23     liquors.] LIQUORS IF THE ELECTRICITY IS GENERATED OUTSIDE OF   <--
    24     THIS COMMONWEALTH.
    25         (7)  Integrated combined coal gasification technology.
    26     * * *
    27     SECTION 2.  SECTION 3(B) OF THE ACT, AMENDED JULY 17, 2007     <--
    28  (P.L.114, NO.35), IS AMENDED TO READ:
    29  SECTION 3.  ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PORTFOLIO STANDARDS.
    30     * * *
    20071S0025B0039                  - 5 -     

     1     (B)  TIER I AND SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SHARES.--
     2         (1)  TWO YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT, AT
     3     LEAST 1.5% OF THE ELECTRIC ENERGY SOLD BY AN ELECTRIC
     4     DISTRIBUTION COMPANY OR ELECTRIC GENERATION SUPPLIER TO
     5     RETAIL ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS IN THIS COMMONWEALTH SHALL BE
     6     GENERATED FROM TIER I ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES. EXCEPT AS
     7     PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION, THE MINIMUM PERCENTAGE OF ELECTRIC
     8     ENERGY REQUIRED TO BE SOLD TO RETAIL ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS FROM
     9     ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES SHALL INCREASE TO 2% THREE YEARS
    10     AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT. THE MINIMUM PERCENTAGE
    11     OF ELECTRIC ENERGY REQUIRED TO BE SOLD TO RETAIL ELECTRIC
    12     CUSTOMERS FROM ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES SHALL INCREASE BY
    13     AT LEAST 0.5% EACH YEAR SO THAT AT LEAST 8% OF THE ELECTRIC
    14     ENERGY SOLD BY AN ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION COMPANY OR ELECTRIC
    15     GENERATION SUPPLIER TO RETAIL ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS IN THAT
    16     CERTIFICATED TERRITORY IN THE 15TH YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE
    17     DATE OF THIS SUBSECTION IS SOLD FROM TIER I ALTERNATIVE
    18     ENERGY RESOURCES.
    19         (1.1)  IN ADDITION TO ANY INCREASE UNDER PARAGRAPH (1),
    20     THE COMMISSION SHALL ANNUALLY INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE SHARE
    21     OF TIER I ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES REQUIRED TO BE SOLD BY
    22     AN ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION COMPANY OR ELECTRIC GENERATION
    23     SUPPLIER UNDER PARAGRAPH (1), BY AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE
    24     AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL TIER I ALTERNATIVE ENERGY CREDITS
    25     CREATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT ADDING THIS
    26     PARAGRAPH.
    27         (2)  THE TOTAL PERCENTAGE OF THE ELECTRIC ENERGY SOLD BY
    28     AN ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION COMPANY OR ELECTRIC GENERATION
    29     SUPPLIER TO RETAIL ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS IN THIS COMMONWEALTH
    30     THAT MUST BE SOLD FROM SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC TECHNOLOGIES IS:
    20071S0025B0039                  - 6 -     

     1             (I)  0.0013% FOR JUNE 1, 2006, THROUGH MAY 31, 2007.
     2             (II)  0.0030% FOR JUNE 1, 2007, THROUGH MAY 31, 2008.
     3             (III)  0.0063% FOR JUNE 1, 2008, THROUGH MAY 31,
     4         2009.
     5             (IV)  0.0120% FOR JUNE 1, 2009, THROUGH MAY 31, 2010.
     6             (V)  0.0203% FOR JUNE 1, 2010, THROUGH MAY 31, 2011.
     7             (VI)  0.0325% FOR JUNE 1, 2011, THROUGH MAY 31, 2012.
     8             (VII)  0.0510% FOR JUNE 1, 2012, THROUGH MAY 31,
     9         2013.
    10             (VIII)  0.0840% FOR JUNE 1, 2013, THROUGH MAY 31,
    11         2014.
    12             (IX)  0.1440% FOR JUNE 1, 2014, THROUGH MAY 31, 2015.
    13             (X)  0.2500% FOR JUNE 1, 2015, THROUGH MAY 31, 2016.
    14             (XI)  0.2933% FOR JUNE 1, 2016, THROUGH MAY 31, 2017.
    15             (XII)  0.3400% FOR JUNE 1, 2017, THROUGH MAY 31,
    16         2018.
    17             (XIII)  0.3900% FOR JUNE 1, 2018, THROUGH MAY 31,
    18         2019.
    19             (XIV)  0.4433% FOR JUNE 1, 2019, THROUGH MAY 31,
    20         2020.
    21             (XV)  0.5000% FOR JUNE 1, 2020, AND THEREAFTER.
    22         (3)  UPON COMMENCEMENT OF THE BEGINNING OF THE 6TH
    23     REPORTING YEAR, THE COMMISSION SHALL UNDERTAKE A REVIEW OF
    24     THE COMPLIANCE BY ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES AND
    25     ELECTRIC GENERATION SUPPLIERS WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS
    26     ACT. THE REVIEW SHALL ALSO INCLUDE THE STATUS OF ALTERNATIVE
    27     ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES WITHIN THIS COMMONWEALTH AND THE CAPACITY
    28     TO ADD ADDITIONAL ALTERNATIVE ENERGY RESOURCES. THE
    29     COMMISSION SHALL USE THE RESULTS OF THIS REVIEW TO RECOMMEND
    30     TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADDITIONAL COMPLIANCE GOALS BEYOND
    20071S0025B0039                  - 7 -     

     1     YEAR 15. THE COMMISSION SHALL WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT IN
     2     EVALUATING THE FUTURE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY RESOURCE POTENTIAL.
     3     * * *
     4     Section 2 3.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.           <--


















    I12L52DMS/20071S0025B0039        - 8 -