PA Bill Would Strip Municipalities of Local Controls; Force Large Energy Projects
Please join us to call the House Energy Committee leadership and your legislator to tell them to VOTE NO on HB502, which would eliminate local government powers to site large energy generation projects and energy storage facilities in Pennsylvania. The bill’s goal is to fast track approval of energy generating and energy storage facilities by replacing the role of local government with a hand-picked State Siting Board that would control the project approval process. The projects would include fracked gas power plants, hydrogen gas energy projects, and other dirty energy schemes like trash and tire burning.
The committee is set to vote Wednesday at 10am on the bill so calls are needed urgently – now through Wednesday at 10am!
CALL NOW TO:
Committee Chair Elizabeth Fiedler (D-HD184)(717) 787-5774
Committee Vice Chair: Mandy Steele (D-HD33) (717) 705-7141
Minority Chair: Martin T. Causer (R-HD67) (717) 787-5075
And your own House Representative – go here to find them: https://www.palegis.us/house/members
Tell them:
- You oppose HB 502 which would institute the Energy Siting and Electric Transition (RESET) Board and you request they VOTE NO on the bill, even with amendments.
- Local Government decisions on large energy projects must not be taken over by a handpicked Board of bureaucrats and self-serving special interests that want to FAST TRACK large energy projects. Local governments and their residents are essential to fair and equitable decision-making but this Board would roll over them.
- HB502 is unconstitutional. It strips all Pennsylvanians and local government of their environmental rights under Article 1, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution’s Environmental Rights Amendment. By removing established local government review, planning, and processes HB502 denies citizens of their participation at the local government level and of due process and redress. It prevents local officials from carrying out their sworn duty to protect and serve people’s rights to clean air, pure water, and a healthy environment – those of us here now and future generations.
- HB502 harms environmental justice communities. The Board would have the power to overrule local zoning and considerations, taking siting approval of these facilities out of the hands of those who would be most directly impacted by the environmental, human health, and planning effects of projects, many of whom are already overburdened by pollution and environmental degradation. This cannot be tolerated!
- Fast tracking dirty energy projects will harm our health and the environment, spurring fracking and other polluting energy sources, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and worsening climate change. We cannot accept such irresponsible and destructive actions!
- The Memo for this bill says it all – they want to “build big things again in Pennsylvania”. Some pretend the bill is for renewable energy projects but that is not what the bill says. This is the takeover of our communities by an autocratic Board that doesn’t want the local public interfering with a dirty energy buildout. This bill must be stopped!
Read the bill here: https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/text/PDF/2025/0/HB0502/PN1479