THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY CLYMER, BAKER, BARRAR, BEAR, BENNINGHOFF, BOYD, BROOKS, CIVERA, COX, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DELOZIER, DENLINGER, DiGIROLAMO, EVERETT, FAIRCHILD, FARRY, FLECK, GABIG, GABLER, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GROVE, HARHAI, HARRIS, HELM, HENNESSEY, HICKERNELL, HUTCHINSON, KAUFFMAN, KRIEGER, MAJOR, MARSHALL, MARSICO, MENSCH, METCALFE, METZGAR, MILLER, MOUL, MUSTIO, O'NEILL, PICKETT, PYLE, QUIGLEY, QUINN, RAPP, READSHAW, REESE, ROAE, ROCK, ROHRER, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, SONNEY, STERN, STEVENSON, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TRUE, TURZAI, VULAKOVICH AND WATSON, AUGUST 17, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, AUGUST 17, 2009  

A RESOLUTION

Urging the Congress of the United States to refrain from

enacting cap and trade legislation that would negatively

impact Americans through the elimination of jobs by

increasing the costs of goods and services and instead to

enact legislation that encourages states to establish and

develop their own renewable energy portfolio standards.

WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States is currently

debating legislation to implement a cap and trade emissions

trading system that would establish certain levels on greenhouse

gas emissions, require entities that emit greenhouse gases to

purchase government credits to offset emissions and allow the

entities to trade or sell the credits; and

WHEREAS, Companies that are required to participate in the

cap and trade program will ultimately pass the cost of

participation in the program on to consumers; and

WHEREAS, The Congressional Budget Office estimates that price

increases resulting from a 15% reduction in greenhouse gas

emissions would cost the average household between 1.7% to 3.3%

of its after-tax income every year, with households in the

bottom fifth of the income scale losing the largest share of

income; and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and other states

use a significant amount of coal to produce electricity; and

WHEREAS, Specifically in the United States, more than 50% of

the electricity produced is generated by coal, with Pennsylvania

receiving approximately 56% of its electricity from coal; and

WHEREAS, A cap and trade program will result in significant

increases in energy costs for all consumers because the cost to

produce electricity from coal will be markedly higher; and

WHEREAS, These increased energy costs will disproportionately

impact states that are more reliant on coal, such as the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, The Congressional Budget Office has acknowledged

that these increases in energy costs will effectively act as a

regressive tax affecting every household in the nation, with a

disproportionate effect on lower income families; and

WHEREAS, The cap and trade program will cause the loss of

thousands of jobs and will not result in the overall global

decrease of greenhouse gas emissions because many industries

that emit greenhouse gas will merely relocate to countries with

less stringent standards; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United

States to refrain from enacting cap and trade legislation that

would negatively impact Americans through the elimination of

jobs by increasing the costs of goods and services and instead

to enact legislation that encourages states to establish and

develop their own varied energy portfolio that would include a

mix of energy sources including oil, coal and natural gas; and

be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to

the President of the United States, to the presiding officers of

each chamber of Congress and to each member of Congress from

Pennsylvania.