[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 187 (Wednesday, November 15, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7261-S7262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petition or memorial was laid before the Senate and was 
referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-138. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Commonwealth of Pennsylvania memorializing the importance of 
     grid reliability and fuel-secure baseload energy; to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                       Senate Resolution No. 227

       Whereas, Electric generation power plants in this 
     Commonwealth that participate in the wholesale electric 
     markets strengthen competition and enhance the resilience and 
     reliability of the bulk power and transmission systems and 
     are vital to the public interest; and
       Whereas, The nation's and the Commonwealth's economy, 
     environment and security depend on a reliable, resilient 
     electric grid powered by an ``all of the above'' mix of 
     energy generation resources, including traditional baseload 
     generation that is produced from long-term fuel sources 
     located onsite; and
       Whereas, The North American Electric Reliability 
     Corporation, whose mission is to assure the reliability and 
     security of North America's bulk power system, in a May 2017

[[Page S7262]]

     letter to United States Secretary of Energy Rick Perry warned 
     that ``premature retirements of fuel-secure baseload 
     generating stations reduces resilience to fuel supply 
     disruptions''; and
       Whereas, The recent United States Department of Energy 
     Staff Report to the Secretary on Electricity Markets and 
     Reliability made clear that resiliency must be addressed by 
     the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and there is 
     an ``urgent need for clear definitions of reliability- and 
     resilience-enhancing attributes and should quickly establish 
     the market means to value or the regulatory means to provide 
     them''; and
       Whereas, The 2014 polar vortex exposed problems with the 
     resiliency of the electric grid when PJM Interconnection 
     struggled to meet demand for electricity because a 
     significant amount of generation was not available to run due 
     to weather-related outages; and
       Whereas, Pennsylvania's fuel-secure baseload generation 
     plants employ thousands of workers in high-paying jobs and 
     contribute significantly to State and local economics; and
       Whereas, Pennsylvania's coal industry, including coal power 
     plants, is a vital contributor to the State's economy, 
     providing support through direct, indirect and induced 
     impacts, including approximately 36,100 full and part-time 
     jobs, and $4.1 billion in total value added to the 
     Commonwealth's economy; and
       Whereas, Pennsylvania's nuclear industry, including nuclear 
     power plants, is a vital contributor to the State's economy, 
     providing support through direct, indirect and induced 
     impacts, including approximately 15,900 in-State full time 
     jobs and $2 billion to the Commonwealth's gross domestic 
     product, and $69 million in net State tax revenues annually; 
     and
       Whereas, In addition to the reliability, security, grid 
     resilience and economic attributes, Pennsylvania's fuel-
     secure baseload coal plants have made significant investments 
     to meet increased environmental standards, helping to improve 
     air and water quality in the Commonwealth; and
       Whereas, Pennsylvania is also home to unique fuel-secure 
     coal generation sources that use waste coal as a fuel-source, 
     employing 3,800 Pennsylvania residents and producing 1,500 
     megawatts of renewable energy, also helping to remove 
     approximately 200 million tons of refuse coal from mine 
     scarred land in Pennsylvania; and
       Whereas, In addition to the reliability, security, grid 
     resilience and economic attributes, Pennsylvania's fuel-
     secure baseload nuclear power plants also provide more than 
     93% of this Commonwealth's emissions-free electricity and are 
     the only emissions-free, predictable and reliable electric 
     generation source; and
       Whereas, Pennsylvania's diverse portfolio of fuel-secure 
     baseload generation resources are vital to our Commonwealth's 
     economic competitiveness, natural environment and public 
     health and safety; and
       Whereas, It is in the public interest that fuel-secure 
     baseload generation resources be properly compensated for 
     providing these positive attributes and under the current 
     design of the wholesale electric markets, prices are set in a 
     manner that undervalues fuel-secure generation resources; and
       Whereas, The Secretary of Energy has proposed, for 
     consideration by FERC, a Grid Resilience Pricing Rule with 
     the goal of ensuring our nation's energy security; therefore 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania acknowledge the grid resilience and reliability 
     benefits that fuel-secure baseload electricity generation 
     resources provide to the residents, business and economy of 
     this Commonwealth and assert that fuel-secure baseload 
     generation resources receive proper compensation for these 
     positive attributes; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania agree with the goals of the United States 
     Department of Energy's proposed Grid Resiliency Pricing Rule 
     and urge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to swiftly 
     implement policies and approve tariff provisions to ensure 
     fuel-secure baseload electricity generation resources receive 
     proper compensation for all of the positive attributes they 
     provide our nation's and this Commonwealth's electric system; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania, while expressing support for FERC's swift 
     action to ensure the positive attributes provided by fuel-
     secure baseload generation resources receive proper 
     compensation in the wholesale market, will continue to 
     exercise the General Assembly's authority to make energy 
     policy consistent with the health, safety and welfare of our 
     residents; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, United States Secretary 
     of Energy Rick Perry, FERC Commissioners, the presiding 
     officers of each house of Congress, each member of Congress 
     from Pennsylvania and the Board of Managers of PJM 
     Interconnection.

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