By Kyle Bagenstose, Bucks County Courier-Times
Posted Sep 4, 2019 at 3:45 PMUpdated Sep 4, 2019 at 5:20 PM   

At a press conference in Abington, Democratic state lawmakers connected climate change to Hurricane Dorian and other global events as they promoted bills to increase the state’s use of solar energy while placing a cap on carbon emissions.

State Democratic lawmakers from around the region gathered in Abington’s Crestmont Park on Wednesday to promote energy legislation they say is crucial to halting global climate change and protecting local communities.

“This is the only planet we have. There’s no plan B planet,” said state Sen. Art Haywood, D-4, of Cheltenham. “This event is to make sure we’re clear about the challenge and what we can do to respond.”

The news conference was originally billed as a jointly hosted event by Haywood and state Sen. Steve Santarsiero, D-10, of Lower Makefield, to promote Senate Bill 600, which would require Pennsylvania’s power grid to use 30% solar energy by 2030. Santarsiero was unable to attend the event as he recovers from a bout of pneumonia, his office said, but other legislators connected the bill to recent events, including Hurricane Dorian’s devastation of the Bahamas.

Like this? Click to receive free EnviroPolitics Blog updates

“Think of the people who are suffering in the Bahamas. It looks like half that island is destroyed,” said U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-4, of Abington. “Everybody from the pope, to the Pentagon, to prisoners tell you this is an extraordinary threat to our future. We ought to be listening.”

Weather records show that Dorian is the fifth Category 5 hurricane to form in the Atlantic since 2016, which is the first time such storms have formed in four consecutive years since record-keeping began in the 19th century.

Joe Webster, D-150, of Collegeville, also noted the military’s focus on climate change. A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and retired colonel, Webster pointed to a 2010 report by the U.S. Joint Forces Command that placed climate change among the top security challenges facing the military.

“The migration patterns we’re seeing of displaced peoples all over the world, in Africa and the Middle East, is due to climate change,” Webster said.

Webster also noted that Navy ships in Norfolk, Virginia, are floating several feet higher than they used to, resulting in issues with proper entry onto the vessels.

Haywood said S.B. 600 would work by modifying the state’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards, which requires energy generators and distributors to use a certain percentage of alternative energy sources. The bill would up solar requirements from 8% to 30% by 2030 and direct the Pennsylvania Utility Commission to study the benefits of a renewable energy storage program.

Democrats also worked to frame the bill as good for the economy and families, as Haywood claimed an outside study showed it would create 7,500 jobs across the state. Mark Bortman, owner of solar installation company Exact Solar in Newtown Township, also said he supported the bill.

“If we’re able to get this through, it will put Pennsylvania back in the leadership for climate action,” Bortman said. “Going forward, there’s going to be more jobs in renewable energy than fossil fuels.”

Bortman said New Jersey has 30% more jobs in renewable energy than Pennsylvania, despite having 30% fewer people.

Haywood also touted the legislation as bipartisan, as it was co-introduced by state Sen. Tom Killion, R-9, of Delaware County. However, the state legislature’s website still lists Killion as the only Republican co-sponsor since its April introduction. The bill is currently in the Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure Committee, which is chaired by state Sen. Tommy Tomlinson, R-6, of Bensalem.

Democratic lawmakers and leaders from environmental groups also previewed a more robust legislative effort Wednesday, saying they planned to introduce a carbon “cap” bill this fall that would work to place a limit on carbon emissions in Pennsylvania. The state is currently the fourth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, behind only California, Texas, and Florida, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

According to press materials released at the event, the bill — the Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Transition Act — will seek to cut carbon emissions 90% by 2040.

Not receiving our free updates?