HARRISBURG, Pa., March 3, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
PennFuture today praised Gov. Tom
Wolf for his bold plans to reinvigorate Pennsylvania's investments in clean energy as
part of the administration's proposed 2015-16 fiscal year budget.
Wolf delivered his first budget address this morning to a joint
session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
The Wolf administration unveiled a proposal to invest
$225 million in revenue from a new
drilling tax in a comprehensive energy portfolio that includes
$50 million to re-launch the PA
Sunshine Solar program; $50 million
to improve energy efficiency at small businesses, local
governments, schools and nonprofits; $30
million for a combined heat and power grant program;
$30 million for clean energy market
development; $20 million for clean
energy and energy efficiency projects in the agricultural sector;
and $20 million for a wind energy
generation program.
"Not long ago, Pennsylvania was
a national leader in clean energy production and clean energy
jobs," said John Norbeck, acting
president and CEO of PennFuture. "Governor Wolf's proposed
new investments will send a powerful signal to both entrepreneurs
and markets that Pennsylvania is
serious about regaining national leadership in solar, wind, energy
efficiency and other clean technologies."
"Investing in new clean energy resources not only creates jobs,
protects the environment, and helps break our dependence on fossil
fuels, but it will also help to put the breaks on rising energy
costs," said Rob Altenburg, director
of the PennFuture Energy Center. "Dedicating $50 million to energy efficiency projects at
schools, municipalities, and small businesses is a common-sense
measure that has proven results. Independent studies have shown
that these investments can return to our citizens more than double
what is invested."
PennFuture also praised the Wolf administration's plans to boost
funding and staffing for the Department of Environmental
Protection's (DEP) oversight of the natural gas industry. DEP is
slated to receive an additional $10
million for the inspection and oversight of oil and gas
operations, and an additional complement of 50 staff for these
activities.
"We agree with the Wolf administration's approach to strong
regulation of the natural gas industry and to have those rules
strictly enforced," continued Norbeck. "Gov. Wolf has pledged
to regulate methane emissions from natural gas operations, and 70
percent of Pennsylvanians agree. As such, we are calling for a
rulemaking for the direct regulation of methane in Pennsylvania."
In addition, PennFuture applauded the proposed budget for the
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) for
beginning to wean the state's flagship conservation agency from
being funded by natural gas extraction on public lands. The Oil
& Gas Lease Fund was originally envisioned by Maurice "Doc"
Goddard as a means to reinvest revenues from gas drilling on public
lands in conservation and recreation.
Recently, however, Oil & Gas Lease Fund revenues have
increasingly funded DCNR's core government operations. This year's
proposed budget would begin to reverse the trend by using
$20 million in additional General
Fund revenue for DCNR operations in place of Oil & Gas Lease
Fund revenue.
PennFuture is a statewide public interest membership
organization founded in 1998 with offices in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Wilkes-Barre. The organization's activities
include litigating cases before regulatory bodies and in local,
state, and federal courts; advocating and advancing legislative
action on a state and federal level; public education; and
assisting citizens in public advocacy.
Contact: Elaine Labalme
labalme@pennfuture.org
412.996.4112
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SOURCE PennFuture