House Appropriations To Hear Comments On Carbon Sequestration Bill March 12

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Fiscal Policy will hear testimony at a public hearing on House Bill 80 (Vitali-D-Delaware) and Senate Bill 92 (Erickson-R-Delaware) making changes to the state's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards and creating a carbon sequestration network on March 12 in King of Prussia. (Neither bill is available online.)

 

The hearing will be startat 10 a.m. at the Upper Merion Township Building, Freedom Hall, 175 W. Valley Forge Road in King of Prussia.

 

The bills would require the capture and sequestration of carbon, and ultimately a carbon sequestration network, in Pennsylvania from coal-burning power plants. Carbon that is emitted from these plants ultimately contributes to climate change.

 

"This is a major piece of environmental legislation," Rep. Vitali said. "Developing this cutting-edge technology to capture and sequester carbon emitted from the burning of coal is crucial in combating global warming."

 

Testimony is expected from Christina Simeone, special assistant on energy and climate change, the Department of Environmental Protection; Edward D. Yankovich, International Vice President, United Mine Workers of America; Norm Shilling, product line leader for power generation, GE Gasification, a division of GE Energy; and Janet Lauer, Director, 3 Rivers Clean Energy.

 

The key provisions of the legislation would:

 

-- increase Tier I requirements in the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards by 20 percent from 2021 through 2026. Tier I requirements are the amount of electricity that electric distribution companies such as PECO must purchase from renewable sources such as wind and solar.

 

-- increase the amount of electricity from solar photovoltaic panels that electricity companies must purchase and use to 3 percent by 2026.

 

-- require that 3 percent of energy purchased by electric distribution companies must come from coal fired power plants that capture carbon.

 

-- require Pennsylvania to develop, own and operate a carbon dioxide sequestration network to store captured carbon.

 

Rep.Vitali said at a time when jobs are scarce, the measure would also bring jobs in the construction, engineering and technology industries, boosting the state's economy and long-term employment opportunities in areas related to alternative energy.

 

"Job creation is an important side benefit of this legislation," Rep. Vitali said. "In order to build new facilities or retrofit existing ones, people who work in the trades, engineering and other related fields will see jobs created that are good-paying and long-term. We have to remember that we as a nation will continue to burn coal. If we fail to capture carbon emitted from this coal, it is going to be extremely detrimental to the earth's atmosphere."