PRINTER'S NO. 2966
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2030
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY SANTARSIERO, DEAN, O'BRIEN, McNEILL, COHEN,
VITALI, BRIGGS AND NEILSON, MARCH 15, 2016
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
MARCH 15, 2016
AN ACT
Amending the act of July 9, 2008 (P.L.935, No.70), entitled "An
act providing for a report on potential climate change
impacts and economic opportunities for this Commonwealth, for
duties of the Department of Environmental Protection, for an
inventory of greenhouse gases, for establishment of the
Climate Change Advisory Committee, for a voluntary registry
of greenhouse gas emissions and for a climate change action
plan," further providing for climate change action plan.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 7 of the act of July 9, 2008 (P.L.935,
No.70), known as the Pennsylvania Climate Change Act, is amended
to read:
Section 7. Climate change action plan.
(a) Action plan required.--Within 15 months from the
effective date of this act and every three years thereafter, the
department shall, in consultation with the committee, submit to
the Governor a climate change action plan that, when combined
with existing efforts in this Commonwealth to reduce GHG
emissions, will cumulatively result in a total GHG emissions
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reduction of 50% lower than 2005 levels no later than December
31, 2030, and that:
(1) Identifies GHG emission and sequestration trends and
baselines in this Commonwealth.
(2) Evaluates cost-effective strategies for reducing or
offsetting GHG emissions from various sectors in this
Commonwealth.
(3) Identifies costs, benefits and cobenefits of GHG
reduction strategies recommended by the climate change action
plan, including the impact on the capability of meeting
future energy demand within this Commonwealth.
(4) Identifies areas of agreement and disagreement among
committee members about the climate change action plan.
(5) Recommends to the General Assembly legislative
changes necessary to implement the climate change action
plan.
(6) Provides a schedule of economically feasible
benchmarks for GHG emissions reduction goals corresponding
with subsequent climate change action plan updates.
(7) Recommends to the Governor any administrative
changes necessary to increase collaboration between the
department and other State agencies for the implementation of
certain GHG emissions reduction strategies.
(8) Identifies actions that the department may execute
without legislative changes by the General Assembly that will
allow the department to meet GHG emissions reduction goals.
(9) Identifies incentives that the department may
utilize without legislative changes by the General Assembly
to promote voluntary GHG emissions reduction from other
entities.
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(10) Identifies the effectiveness of previously
implemented strategies and reevaluates previously rejected
strategies to determine feasibility in ensuring the
department meets the benchmarks established to meet GHG
emissions reduction goals.
(b) Publication.--The climate change action plan shall be
published and distributed to the General Assembly and made
available to the public in printed form and on the department's
Internet website upon submission of the plan to the Governor.
(c) Implementation.--To the extent feasible, the department,
in conjunction with other State agencies if necessary, shall
implement the measures in the climate change action plan in
order to meet the GHG emissions reduction goals in the climate
change action plan.
Section 2. This act shall not apply to a climate change
action plan submitted under section 7(a) before the effective
date of this act.
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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