Sen. Yaw introduced Energy Choice bill in Pennsylvania Senate

State Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) introduced a bill designed to provide residents and businesses with more options for fuel.

The Energy Choice legislation — Senate Bill 275 — would limit municipal entities from banning a specific type of fuel source for appliances and heating homes or businesses.

“It’s about consumer choice and keeping energy costs low,” Yaw said. “Pennsylvania is unique in that we have a myriad of energy options available to us. For example, I have constituents that still utilize wood as a fuel source to heat their homes. Should we prevent them from doing so? The answer is no. My bill will still allow those who want clean or renewable energy to choose it. It’s unfortunate that this legislation is even necessary in the first place. When municipal governments start picking winners and losers, then we have a serious problem.”

Similar laws were passed in other states last year — and 12 bills are currently moving through the legislative process in other states.

“It is imperative Pennsylvania’s businesses retain the option to have access to every energy choice in order to stay competitive in an increasingly challenging global market,” Gene Barr, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, said. “As Pennsylvania’s history has shown, energy choice in the marketplace has yielded tremendous reductions in both costs and emissions, and we applaud the introduction of this legislation that will ensure those trends continue. We are hopeful this commonsense legislation passes with bipartisan support.”

The bill was referred to the Senate Local Government Committee on Feb. 24 and is awaiting action.

“We are fortunate to have a variety of energy choices which provide us some of the lowest energy rates in the nation. To allow local governments to restrict that choice would pit municipalities and counties against one another and create an unworkable impact on the energy, utility, and construction industries, and arguably lead to significant cost increases for energy especially hurting the elderly and low-income residents,” Jeff Nobers, executive director of Pittsburgh Works Together, said. Pittsburgh Works Together is a nonpartisan alliance of labor unions, business, and civic leaders.