As evangelicals committed to defending the life and health of every child, we at EEN Action–the 501(c)(4) advocacy partner of the Evangelical Environmental Network–celebrate the recent bipartisan passage of House Bill 504 Community Energy, which will expand community solar across Pennsylvania and provide clean, reliable, and renewable energy to our power grid. We are grateful to Representative Schweyer (District 134) for his leadership sponsoring the bill and are especially thankful to the thirteen House Republicans who voted in support for HB 504:
Rep. Thomas L. Mehaffie III (District 106), Rep. Kathleen C. Tomlinson (District 18), Rep. Joe Hogan (District 142), Rep. Jonathan Fritz (District 111), Rep. Jeremy Shaffer (District 28), Rep. Eric Nelson (District 57), Rep. Joe Emrick (District 137), Rep. Jack Rader (District 176), Rep. Craig Williams (District 160), Rep. Eric Davanzo (District 58), Rep. Jeff Olsommer (District 139), Rep. Dane Watro (District 116), Rep. Brenda Pugh (District 120)
In response to the bill’s passage, Carolyn Heckman, Associate Director of Pennsylvania Policy for EEN Action, released the following statement:
“The expansion of community energy can and will defend the health and lives of our children by making clean, renewable energy accessible to more Pennsylvanians. HB 504 will increase the amount of pollution-free energy coming onto the grid, allowing us to improve children’s health by making Pennsylvania less reliant on fossil fuel power generation, which is a primary source for many harmful pollutants such as soot, smog-forming ozone, and other toxic air pollutants along with climate-warming carbon pollution. Pennsylvania has historically been an energy leader, but we’re falling behind other states in the necessary transition to clean energy. HB 504 would help us reap the economic benefits of solar for ratepayers, communities, and workers while creating energy in ways that minimize the health impacts on the hearts, minds, and lungs of our children. We applaud the PA House, including thirteen House Republicans, for coming together to defend the health and lives of all Pennsylvanians and our children by advancing community energy.”