Bill Text: PA SR400 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to adopt policies and regulations that will phase out or reform the Reliability Pricing Model (RPM) to promote competition in the electric market, increased efficiency and savings to electric consumers.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-09-27 - Referred to CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE [SR400 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-SR400-Introduced.html

  

 

    

PRINTER'S NO.  2223

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

No.

400

Session of

2010

  

  

INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, FERLO, KITCHEN, FONTANA, D. WHITE, O'PAKE, KASUNIC AND RAFFERTY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

  

  

REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, SEPTEMBER 27, 2010  

  

  

  

A RESOLUTION

  

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Urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to adopt

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policies and regulations that will phase out or reform the

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Reliability Pricing Model (RPM) to promote competition in the

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electric market, increased efficiency and savings to electric

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consumers.

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WHEREAS, Regional transmission organizations and independent

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system operators exist throughout the country as part of the

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electric power market and are under the jurisdiction of the

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Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); and

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WHEREAS, PJM Interconnection, LLC, is a regional transmission

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organization that administers wholesale markets in a region that

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covers all or portions of Delaware, the District of Columbia,

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Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey,

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North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West

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Virginia; and

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WHEREAS, PJM Interconnection and other regional transmission

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organizations and independent system operators are responsible

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for providing and maintaining orderly wholesale electric power

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markets and transmission of electric power; and

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WHEREAS, Through PJM Interconnection and other regional

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transmission organizations, wholesale power is bought and sold

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in what is supposed to be a competitive market; and

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WHEREAS, As part of PJM Interconnection's power markets, PJM

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Interconnections had in place prior to 2007 a capacity market

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whereby willing buyers and sellers purchased electric capacity

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from each other in a competitive market, which produced

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reasonable capacity prices; and

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WHEREAS, In 2007, PJM Interconnection changed its capacity

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market by adopting an administratively based Reliability Pricing

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Model (RPM) whereby wholesale generation is paid at the highest

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amount bid by wholesale generators, thereby resulting in an

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artificially determined price instead of a competitive price;

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and

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WHEREAS, PJM Interconnection's RPM has resulted in

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significant increases in the price of electric capacity with no

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discernable increase in reliability; and

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WHEREAS, The RPM has resulted in suppliers in PJM

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Interconnection paying approximately $18 billion over a three-

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year period to electric generators solely for capacity, a

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significant increase in the charges of $3 billion for capacity

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for the three years prior to the implementation of the RPM;

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therefore be it

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RESOLVED, That the Senate of Pennsylvania oppose PJM

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Interconnection's Reliability Pricing Model and urge the FERC to

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adopt policies and regulations to phase out or reform the RPM;

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and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the Senate urge FERC to adopt an energy policy

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which better promotes competition in the electric market, as

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well as places an increased emphasis on conservation, demand

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response, renewable energy, energy-efficient alternatives and

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innovation and technology to increase economic efficiency,

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reduce electric usage and provide real savings to the average

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consumer; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the Senate urge FERC to work with Congress on

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legislative and regulatory initiatives to phase out or reform

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the use of capacity charges and similar inefficient and

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anticompetitive administrative price-setting mechanisms in favor

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of policies and regulations which provide for fully mature

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competitive wholesale and retail electric market design that

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promotes customer choice, economic efficiency, long-term

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contracting and realistic electric rates for retail consumers;

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and be it further

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RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to

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the Governor of Pennsylvania, to each member of Congress from

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Pennsylvania, to the commissioners of the Federal Energy

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Regulatory Commission, to the commissioners of the Pennsylvania

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Public Utility Commission and to the officers and board of PJM

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Interconnection, LLC.

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