Carbon Sequestration Bill Introduced in Harrisburg

State Rep. Greg Vitali of Delaware County has introduced a bill he says will help “green up” the state when it comes to power production. The bill builds upon current law calling for 18.5% of all power sold in the state to be generated by renewable sources by 2021. This measure ups that to 20% by 2026 and requires at least 3% to come from solar. The bill then ventures into new territory by requiring at least 3% of the power sold in Pennsylvania be generated by coal-fired plants with carbon sequestration technology. To make sure there is a place for all that carbon, the bill calls on the state to build and run a carbon sequestration system. Vitali says when the state first issued its Alternative Energy Portfolio it was a national leader and by venturing into carbon sequestration it will once again find itself on the cutting edge. He says there is not enough incentive for a private business to run what will be a very expensive sequestration system but he thinks it is imperative that the state takes the lead. The Representative says it will take a lot of work and education to drum up the support he needs to pass the bill but he says it is well worth the effort.