In a memorandum to colleagues, Pennsylvania Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Williamsport) announced the reintroduction of legislation that would put decision making over restrictions on energy sources in the hands of the state.
Yaw said in his memo to fellow senators that his legislation, SB 143 from the 2023-2024 session would ensure that all Pennsylvanians can access energy from a wide variety of sources.
“My bill will place decisions regarding restrictions on the use of any energy source in housing and commercial energy applications solely within the purview of the state,” Yaw said in the memo. “This will ensure that all Pennsylvania businesses and homeowners have the opportunity to access energy, whether it be natural gas, solar, wind, geothermal, or any other available source.
According to the memo, energy policies through the United States vary greatly, with some states leaving major energy policy decisions to the lowest municipal level. With more than 2,500 municipal entities in the state, leaving those decisions at the local level would create “an unworkable patchwork of restrictions and further deny residents access to differing energy resources.”
Yaw said moving the decision making over energy policy to the state was a prudent government move that would preempt confusion.
As introduced in the previous session, the legislation would prohibit municipalities from restricting or prohibiting utility services based on the type of energy source, and prohibit municipalities from discriminating against a utility service provider based on the sour of the utility provided.