Pennsylvania

Regional Roundup Ranking
Gov. Tom Wolf took office after running on a platform embracing clean energy, but coupled with the reality that he will have to work with a strongly conservative legislature to develop joint priorities on energy and policies. Gov. Wolf’s administration is bringing some new faces to state departments and the Public Utility Commission, which efficiency and clean energy advocates hope will put the state on a more progressive path. This could include formal entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
 
Regulators and utilities delivered several important decisions and filings recently. The first was an Order extending Act 129 — the state’s energy efficiency and conservation program — for another five years and reviving the state’s dormant retail demand response program. However, the same order failed to expand program funding beyond the legislatively assigned two percent of 2006 utility revenues, limiting savings targets to about .8 percent of retail sales.  Subsequently, Duquesne Light and Power, Metropolitan Edison, Penelec, PennPower, WestPenn Power, PECO, and PPL submitted their Act 129 Phase III plans.
 
The second Order revised the Commonwealth’s cost-effectiveness screening processes to include savings associated with reduced water and fossil fuel consumption.
 

Complementary Policies
On May 1, 2018, the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Review and Advisory Council announced a critical update to its state code by adopting the 2015 IECC. Energy codes are often adopted alongside a suite of other codes including fire, mechanical, and plumbing, and that is the case with Pennsylvania. Before this, the state remained stagnant at the 2009 IECC. With energy savings of up to 25 percent over the commercial  2009 IECC, the 2015 IECC update will help buyers and occupants of new homes and buildings save money, save energy, and reduce their carbon footprints.

Policy & Program Information

State Offices

Public Utility Commission
Department of Environmental Protection Energy Page

Program Administrators

Dusquesne Light
PECO
PPL
Met-Ed
Penelec
Penn Power
West Penn Power

Additional Resources

Act 129
Act 129 Phase II Energy Efficiency Programs Order
Act 129 Phase III Energy Efficiency Programs Order
Act 129 2016 Cost Effectiveness Screening Order
Climate Change Action Plan Update
Uniform Construction Code
Pennsylvania and the Clean Power Plan
State Documents and Key Info- Pennsylvania 
U.S. Department of Energy
SEE Action

 

Pennsylvania at a Glance

Direct Jobs in Energy Efficiency 65,289
Electric Efficiency Program Expenditures $217.2 million 
Gas Efficiency Program Expenditures $12.7 million
Per Capita Expenditures $13.54
Annual Electric Savings  904,238 MWh
Electric Savings as Percent of Retail Sales  0.64%
Annual Gas Savings 1 million therms
Gas Savings as Percent of Retail Sales 0.02%
2015 program year data are taken from the ACEEE's 2016 Scorevard, and E2's Energy Efficiency Jobs in America report

 

Stay informed

Stay up to date with the latest NEEP and industry news, policies, and trends to your inbox every so often.