Home » News » Proposed legislation would update Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard

State Rep. David Zimmerman (R-Lancaster) recently sent a memo to all House members about updating the state’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard.

In 2004, the state General Assembly passed the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard. The goal was to attain 7.5 percent of the state’s electricity from Tier I resources.

Tier I resources include biologically derived methane gas, biomass, coal mine methane, electricity produced in-state from the by-products of pulping and wood manufacturing industries, fuel cells, geothermal electric energy, low-impact hydropower, solar thermal electric, and wind.

The Public Utility Commission reported that, as of May 2021, less than 1.5 percent of Tier I electricity used in Pennsylvania is generated in the state. The remainder comes from projects in other states.

Those states are benefiting from those jobs, tax revenue, and investment, Zimmerman said.

“The majority of Tier I resources should be met from Pennsylvania-only resources,” Zimmerman said. “Existing contracts from out-of-state projects will be honored until they expire and the solar carve-out will be expanded from 0.5 percent to 2 percent by 2027 for rooftop and other on-site solar. Existing in-state large-scale solar would be grandfathered in the solar carve out.”

Zimmerman’s proposed update also would limit the price of Solar Alternative Energy Credits and include bonus credits for brownfields, abandoned mine lands, nonprofit organizations, and carports.

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