Jan 13 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Diane Mastrull The Philadelphia Inquirer


Gov. Rendell today called for an all-out "war" to win passage of long-delayed legislation that would increase Pennsylvania's requirements for alternative-energy use.

"Powerful special interests are stalling this legislation," Rendell said at an event in Media to promote House Bill 80. There's only one way to get through the "blockade," he said, "and that's for us to absolutely make this a war."

It was surprisingly tough talk for a breakfast meeting, organized by the advocacy group Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, or PennFuture.

The governor pushed for a specific battle plan involving legislative boycotts and even a bit of violence -- kicking, that is. Though by their chuckles, audience members seemed to interpret that part of Rendell's call to action more figuratively than literally.

 On the boycott front, Rendell urged the region's legislators to support nothing that comes before them -- even if the proposals come from their local colleagues -- until they get assurances of support for House Bill 80.

The measure would significantly boost Pennsylvania's clean-energy standards beyond those enacted in 2004 and, Rendell contends, help ensure the state's ability to attract alternative-energy companies. Surrounding states such as New Jersey and Maryland already are at a competitive advantage because they have higher standards, he said.

In a brief interview after the event, Rendell called House Bill 80 "the single most important thing that we have to do for the long-range health of the state."

During his speech, the governor said he was frequently told by legislative leaders that they are sympathetic to his position on difficult issues but simply cannot get their caucuses to support them. On House Bill 80, he said: "I don't want to hear anymore: 'My caucus is against it.'

"We have to go and convince southeast Democrats and Republicans alike that this is something they have to say to their caucus: 'If you don't do this, we're not going to do anything else because this is important to us.' "

The same conversation has to go on among legislative delegations across the state, Rendell said. He asserted that the time had come to "kick the living daylights" out of legislators "until they understand that it's not enough to just vote for this issue . . . you have to fight in your caucus and say, 'This is an issue worth going to war over.' "

Told of the governor's remarks, Patrick Henderson, executive director of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, chaired by Republican Mary Jo White, said: "Drawing a line in the sand that this issue is more important than any other issue is a dangerous precedent."

Henderson noted that the Senate supported the original alternative-energy portfolio standards six years ago and subsequently supported $650 million in subsidies for the renewable-energy industry.

Reluctance over increasing the alternative-energy standards stems, in part, from a belief that the effects of the current requirements are not known, he said. Some of Pennsylvania's largest utilities have not been subjected to them yet, he said, because state-imposed rate caps are in effect through this year. And there are other issues.

"There's some legitimate concerns about how much government can and should do to support . . . the alternative-energy industry," Henderson said. "At what time does it need to stand on its own two feet and compete fairly in the market with its product?"

Among the bill's opponents is the Pennsylvania Coal Association, which fears a loss of market share if the use of more wind and solar energy is required.

Today's "Clean Energy" breakfast was the first of six PennFuture has planned around the state this year. The group's president, Jan Jarrett, said she had no problem with Rendell's forceful message:

"It's just an indication that this is not a governor that's going to slink off quietly his last year in office."

Contact staff writer Diane Mastrull at 215-854-2466 or dmastrull@phillynews.com.

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