The Public Utility Commission (PUC) announced this week it will hold a technical conference on January 19 to discuss implementation issues related to the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act of 2004, signed by Gov. Rendell in November.

The Act takes effect on February. 28 and requires that a certain percentage of all electric energy sold to retail customers be derived from alternative energy sources. The law applies to both electric distribution companies and electric generation suppliers, who must demonstrate their compliance on an annual basis.

The conference will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Hearing Room 1 of the Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. All interested parties are invited to attend and to submit comments. The meeting is open to the public.

More details, including a list of issues to be addressed and directions for submitting comments, are available in the Secretarial Letter.

The PUC and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are responsible for implementing and enforcing the provisions of the Act.

Specifically, the PUC must establish an alternative energy credits program to be administered by an independent entity, develop rules governing the interconnection of customer-generators to the electric grid and verify that companies comply with the Act.

DEP is responsible for qualifying energy sources for alternative resource status and ensuring that these alternative resources meet environmental, health and safety standards.

The PUC and DEP will jointly monitor companies’ compliance with the law and will provide an annual report to the General Assembly.

For more information, contact Karen Mitchell at kmitchell@state.pa.us or at 717-787-1925.

1/14/2005