Contribute To PPA Advocacy Efforts
Conservative news media has been abuzz the last couple weeks regarding the announcement that Stacey Abrams, a predominant progressive Democratic leader from Georgia, has taken a job with Rewiring America as its Senior Counsel. Rewiring America is a well-funded environmental group dedicated to encouraging all Americans to electrify their homes and businesses. The group is particularly focused on educating consumers as to the incentives available from the Inflation Reduction Act such as rebates of up to $14,000 to electrify homes.
Each state is currently tasked with rolling out the implementation of this program. Pennsylvania will be receiving $260 million in federal funding for this program to implement over a 10-year period. The PPA anticipates the state program could be launched starting in the fall of 2023. Additional incentives for EV vehicles are also being introduced through the Inflation Reduction Act. These programs and the inclusion of Ms. Abrams is a part of an all-out campaign by the Biden Administration to electrify the country.
Over the last few years, PPA has directly been engaged in stopping bills in the Pennsylvania legislature that would have allowed electric utilities to charge its ratepayers for the buildout of transportation infrastructure. Republicans controlled both chambers of the General Assembly for 12 years which impacted these types of legislative proposals. That dynamic will no longer exist during the current legislative session with the Democrats now having slim majority within the House of Representatives.
The pathway that Pennsylvania will take in terms of climate change legislation is at a critical juncture. The PPA will be focused on the following questions as we move forward.
- Will Governor Shapiro follow the lead of some other states and ban the sale of gasoline vehicles?
- Will Pennsylvania use state funds to supplement the federal electric heat pump rebate program?
- Will the policymakers support allowing utilities to subsidize electrification with ratepayer funds?
- Will the Democrats allow the Energy Choice bill to be voted on and become law?
- Will local governments act to ban new or replacement fossil fuel HVAC systems?
PPA monitors and fights for the interests of the liquid fuel industry every day. There is a tsunami of electrification proposals coming upon us. WE CANNOT WIN without financial support of our advocacy efforts. We are specifically asking members to make personal contributions to our POMPAC Fund (first preference) as well as corporate contributions to our Energy Defense Fund (second preference). Thank you to members who have made contributions on an annual basis. We would again ask you to consider a contribution in 2023. If you haven’t contributed in the past, then NOW is the time to do so.
