Recognizing and thanking the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for passing House Bill No. 2200 which will provide Philadelphia families relief from high electricity bills, guarantees a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and works to stimulate the creation of Green Jobs in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS

, With the adoption of Resolution 080398 on April 10, 2008, this Council urged the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to enact House Bill 2200; and

WHEREAS

, HB 2200 declares it is in the Commonwealth’s public interest to expand the use of alternative energy and to explore the feasibility of new sources of alternative energy to provide electrical generation; and

WHEREAS

, HB 2200 requires utility providers in Pennsylvania to reduce

peak

electrical demand by 4.5 percent by 2013, which will mitigate the need to construct new power lines and power plants; and

WHEREAS

, HB 2200 keeps utility providers accountable for reaching target reductions by imposing a $20 million penalty for noncompliance and authorizing the Public Utilities Commission to take programs away from a utility that fails to meet reduction requirements; and

WHEREAS

, HB 2200 requires the deployment of Smart Meters within 15 years so that every household can monitor their energy costs and make more informed decisions leading to energy conservation and actual financial savings; and

WHEREAS

, By imposing sweeping conservation standards, HB 2200 will halt the annual 1.5 percent increase in electrical demand, saving the Commonwealth

$17 billion

in capital, fuel, and other costs associated with meeting increases in electricity demand; and

WHEREAS

, HB 2200 allows utilities to bid out a portion of the conservation measures to third parties, which will create the demand for Green Jobs in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS

, With the adoption of Resolution 080689 on September 18, 2008, this Council signed the Local Government Green Jobs Pledge and has expressed its desire to promote the proliferation of Green Jobs; and

WHEREAS

, Green Jobs benefit Philadelphia by reducing poverty, pollution, and the effects of global warming and contribute to making a more sustainable and energy efficient city; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

,

That it hereby recognizes and thanks the members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly who supported House Bill 2200 which will dramatically improve energy conservation across the Commonwealth and result in real economic and environmental benefits.

End