The Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee held a hearing this week on energy efficiency and demand side management programs, how they should be paid for and how to measure their effectiveness.

Liz Robinson, Executive Director of the non-profit Energy Coordinating Agency, supported House Bill 2200 (George-D-Clearfield) and Special Session House Bill 1 (DePasquale-D-York), but said it was important to included an expanded weatherization program in any energy conservation strategy.

“Energy conservation and efficiency are often overlooked in discussions about alternative and clean energy,” Robinson said. “Somehow they’re not as sexy as wind or solar. However, what energy conservation lacks in sex appeal, it more than makes up for it in sheer abundance and low price.

“In fact energy conservation is the cleanest, cheapest and most abundant clean energy resource in America. Conservation costs 2.5 to 3 cents per kilowatt hour, compared to more than 5 cents for coal and 15 cents for nuclear. It can also be deployed in a very short timeframe.”

The Senate also passed legislation to promote renewable energy in Special Session Senate Bill 1 (MJ.White-R-Venango).

The Department of Community and Economic Development will hold a public hearing on the state’s Weatherization Assistance Program Plan on May 29 in Harrisburg.

John Hanger, President and CEO of PennFuture, said Pennsylvania has no effective electricity conservation program for businesses and consumers and the state needs to begin an aggressive program of energy conservation now and diversity how electricity is made.

Michael Love, President and CEO of the Energy Association of PA, said the state should immediately undertake an extensive effort to encourage energy conservation and energy efficiency to lower peak demand. He noted the price of electricity is the most critical aspect to encouraging reduction, saying, “if people are to drastically change their usage patterns of electricity… they need to pay the actual price of electricity.’

Frank Lacey, Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Direct Energy, said he largely agreed with Mr. Love, except noted that competitive electric suppliers could provide a better product to customers to meet their needs.

David Ellis, Senior VP of Business Develop at Comverge, Inc., expressed his support for House Bills 2200 and 2201, but said there are different approaches needed for commercial and residential markets.

Sen. Robert Tomlinson (R-Bucks) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh) serves as Minority Chair.

5/16/2008