Senate advances energy options bill

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Legislation that will options when it comes to fuel options for Pennsylvanians was approved 40-9 by the Senate on Wednesday.

Pennsylvania Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23) said the bill, Senate Bill 143, also known as the “Energy Choice” legislation, would limit a municipalities ability to ban a specific type of fuel source for appliances or heating in homes and businesses.

“It’s about consumer choice and keeping energy costs low,” Yaw said. “As many states seek to ban fuel sources, such as natural gas, Pennsylvania residents have a myriad of energy options to choose from and we should keep it that way.”

Similar legislation has been passed in other states and is also moving through other statehouses this year, Yaw said.

“It’s unfortunate that this legislation is even necessary in the first place,” Yaw said. “When municipal governments start picking winners and losers, then we have a serious problem.”

Supporters of the bill said it is about consumer choice.

“This legislation continues and extends this successful public policy, ensuring Pennsylvanians have access to affordable, reliable energy,” said Luke Bernstein, President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry. “Today’s bipartisan vote shows there is broad-based agreement to this approach. We thank Sen. Yaw and Senate leadership for driving this important issue forward.”

Pittsburgh Works Together, a nonpartisan alliance of unions, businesses and civic leaders, said the move would keep energy rates low.

“We are fortunate to have a variety of energy choices, which provide us some of the lowest energy rates in the nation,” said Jeff Nobers, Pittsburgh Works Together’s executive director. “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.”

The bill passed with bipartisan support last year, officials said. It now moves on to the House of Representatives for consideration.