PRINTER'S NO. 2825
No. 2048 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY GEORGE, THOMAS, BARRAR, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI,
BELFANTI, CALTAGIRONE, COHEN, CRAHALLA, DeLUCA, DeWEESE,
FABRIZIO, FREEMAN, GEIST, GOOD, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HANNA,
HUTCHINSON, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KOTIK, LaGROTTA, LEACH, LEDERER,
MANN, MARKOSEK, PETRARCA, PETRONE, PISTELLA, RUBLEY,
SIPTROTH, SHANER, STABACK, SURRA, TANGRETTI, TIGUE, VEON,
WALKO, YOUNGBLOOD AND YUDICHAK, OCTOBER 17, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
OCTOBER 17, 2005
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Pennsylvania Energy Office and Advisory
2 Council; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Energy Office;
3 establishing the Emergency Energy Assistance Grant Account;
4 and providing for allocation from the utilities' gross
5 receipts tax.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Short title.
9 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pennsylvania
10 Energy Office Act.
11 Section 2. Definitions.
12 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
13 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
14 context clearly indicates otherwise:
15 "Account." The Emergency Energy Assistance Grant Account
16 established under section 7.
1 "Office." The Pennsylvania Energy Office established under
2 section 3.
3 Section 3. Pennsylvania Energy Office.
4 The Pennsylvania Energy Office is established in the
5 Governor's Office to promote the goals of energy development and
6 energy conservation.
7 Section 4. Composition of office.
8 The Governor shall designate an executive director and hire
9 the staff of the office in accordance with procedures of the
10 Governor's Office of Administration and of the Office of the
11 Budget.
12 Section 5. Advisory Council.
13 The Advisory Council is established. The Governor shall
14 appoint persons to the council who shall be members of the
15 General Assembly, the business and transportation community of
16 this Commonwealth, public officials and the general public. The
17 purpose of the council is to provide advice and assistance to
18 the office on matters affecting the State's energy situation.
19 The members shall be reimbursed for the expense of participating
20 in council functions.
21 Section 6. Powers and duties of office.
22 The powers and duties of the office are as follows:
23 (1) To promote the development of this Commonwealth's
24 indigenous and renewable energy resources through programs
25 involving information and technical and financial assistance.
26 (2) To promote the efficient use of energy by the State
27 government and all sectors of this Commonwealth. Working with
28 the Governor's Green Government Council, the office will
29 encourage energy efficiency and conservation through programs
30 providing information and technical and financial assistance.
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1 The office will also work with the Pennsylvania Public
2 Utility Commission to develop specific programs to promote
3 energy efficiency for commercial, industrial and residential
4 consumers of deregulated utilities, such as natural gas and
5 electricity.
6 (3) To be the point of contact for private and
7 government energy matters and the lead Commonwealth agency
8 for energy policy development. The office will regularly
9 update the Commonwealth's energy policy to determine new
10 opportunities for energy development and energy conservation.
11 (4) To be the primary manager and coordinator of Federal
12 energy grants, petroleum overcharge funds and private energy
13 grants.
14 (5) To assist in the review of energy-related plans,
15 programs, policies and regulations of other Commonwealth
16 agencies and to provide recommendations to further promote
17 energy development and energy conservation. The office is
18 authorized to intervene in energy-related proceedings of the
19 Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and other Federal or
20 State regulatory agencies.
21 (6) To monitor prices of petroleum and supplies of
22 petroleum products available for use in this Commonwealth to
23 determine whether there exists or is likely to exist an
24 emergency shortage under section 2802-C(d) of the act of
25 April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative
26 Code of 1929, and to conduct emergency allocation measures
27 during a period of declared emergency petroleum product
28 shortage under section 2802-C of The Administrative Code of
29 1929. The office will also monitor the price and supply of
30 energy to provide information to the Governor on the changing
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1 impact of energy prices on the Commonwealth's economy.
2 (7) To assume the responsibilities assigned to the
3 Department of Environmental Protection under the act of June
4 28, 1995 (P.L.89, No.18), known as the Conservation and
5 Natural Resources Act, which had been assigned to the
6 Pennsylvania Energy Office under prior statutes, regulations
7 and executive orders, including the administration of the
8 funds transferred to the department under section 507 of that
9 act.
10 (8) To promote the establishment of a regional strategic
11 heating oil and diesel fuel reserve in the mid-Atlantic
12 states and other programs that ensure that energy shortages
13 or price surges do not harm the Commonwealth's economy.
14 (9) To provide grants to nonprofit entities, municipal
15 authorities, political subdivisions and corporations, limited
16 liability companies or partnerships incorporated or
17 registered in this Commonwealth to help provide emergency
18 energy assistance or weatherization to residents of this
19 Commonwealth.
20 Section 7. Emergency Energy Assistance Grant Account.
21 (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a separate
22 account in the State Treasury to be known as the Emergency
23 Energy Assistance Grant Account. The moneys of the account are
24 hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania Energy Office to carry
25 out the provisions of this section. The account shall be
26 administered by the office. The account shall consist of that
27 portion of revenues collected under the utilities gross receipts
28 tax collected as set forth in section 8.
29 (b) Expenditures.--Moneys from the fund shall be expended by
30 the office as grants to nonprofit entities, municipal
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1 authorities, political subdivisions and corporations, limited
2 liability companies or partnerships incorporated or registered
3 in this Commonwealth to help provide emergency energy assistance
4 or weatherization to residents of this Commonwealth.
5 Section 8. Allocation from utilities' gross receipts tax.
6 An amount equal to 0.25 mills of the utilities' gross
7 receipts tax collected during each fiscal year under Article XI
8 of the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax
9 Reform Code of 1971, shall be transferred to the account for the
10 purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act.
11 Section 9. Effective date.
12 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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