FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Joseph Preston
D-Allegheny
www.pahouse.com/preston
House Consumer
Affairs Committee reviews municipal aggregation bill
HARRISBURG,
March 3 – State Rep.
Joseph Preston, D-Allegheny, chairman of the House Consumer Affairs Committee,
said the committee this week held a public hearing to review legislation he
will be introducing that would allow local municipalities to supply electricity
to residents and businesses at a reduced cost.
Preston's
bill would allow municipalities to adopt an ordinance to apply for an electric
generation supplier license with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. As
suppliers, the municipalities would act as municipal aggregators, or buying
groups, of electric generation supply service and provide purchasing power to
residential and small business consumers in their municipal boundaries.
Preston said
his bill has the potential to save residents and small business consumers
millions of dollars in energy costs.
"This
legislation is one of many options state lawmakers and industry experts need to
review in anticipation of more rate caps coming off," Preston said.
"My bill would provide consumers with another option as we move to a fully
competitive market."
The bill
would give residential or small business customers the right to opt out of the
buying group to shop for other electricity suppliers on their own.
Additionally, two or more municipalities would be permitted to act as joint
aggregators to enhance and broaden the benefits of the program.
"I will
be closely reviewing all of the input from the hearing before introducing the
bill," Preston said.
Representatives
from the following organizations offered testimony at the hearing: Pennsylvania
Public Utility Commission, Office of the Consumer Advocate, PPL Energy Plus, FirstEnergy
Solutions, Electric Power Generation Association, Direct Energy LLC, ConEdison Solutions and Pennsylvania State Association of
Boroughs. The following organizations submitted written testimony for the
record: Pennsylvania Municipal Electrical Association, Duquesne Light Co.,
Dominion Retail and Constellation Energy Group.
More
information about the House Consumer Affairs Committee is available by visiting
www.pahouse.com/consumeraffairs.
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CONTACT:
Carolyn E. Myers |