Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends sections of the Administrative Code of 1929 and authorizes energy companies to bypass state agencies when applying for a permit to build in Pennsylvania.

Highlights:

• Amends various sections of the Administrative Code of 1929 to authorize energy companies to bypass state agencies when applying for a permit by creating an independent energy office to provide nonpartisan analysis and help planning for energy development (Sec. 2-6).

• Establishes the Pennsylvania Opportunities With Energy Reliability (POWER) Authority, as a governor-appointed board that approves permits for energy development and electricity generation without public hearings (Sec. 2-6).

• Authorizes the POWER authority to waive state regulations on various projects, including small-scale energy projects, and hire a qualified licensed professional outside the government to review applications (Sec. 2-6).

• Defines “small-scale energy projects” for this bill as energy projects with less than 25-megawatt capacity (Sec. 2-6).

• Specifies that small-scale energy projects could apply to the POWER Authority if the state agency the company first applied to has not decided in the given time provided by statute, regulation, or agency policy, or within 120 days, whichever comes first (Sec. 2-6).

• Requires companies hoping to build large-scale energy projects greater than 25 megawatts to apply directly to the authority for fast-track permitting (Sec. 2-6).

Full Bill Text