HARRISBURG – An effort to provide local natural gas service to un-served and under-served areas of Pennsylvania was overwhelmingly supported today by the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, according to state Senator Gene Yaw (R-23).
Senate Bill 214, sponsored by Yaw and known as the Natural Gas Expansion and Development Initiative, would seek to foster the extension and expansion of natural gas service to residential, commercial and industrial sites.
“The impetus for this bill started in Bradford County a few years ago,” Yaw said. “The Center for Rural Pennsylvania held a hearing and during the course of that hearing it became apparent that a significant part of Pennsylvania was not served by natural gas, although we’re sitting on one of the largest deposits of natural gas in the world. This bill will provide the opportunity for residents to obtain gas service should they choose that source of energy.”
Senate Bill 214 will also create a system providing for expedited extension or expansion projects if an economic development agency or a large number of residential, commercial or industrial entities want to seek to obtain natural gas service. Further, this legislation allows a potential natural gas customer to spread project costs over a 10 year period, rather than full up-front costs that are currently required today.
“There is widespread interest in seeing locally produced natural gas used locally to benefit our area businesses and homeowners,” Yaw added.
Senate Bill 214 now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
CONTACT:
Adam Pankake, 717-787-3280