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State Senate Pass Bill To Bring Energy Efficient Technology Into Commonwealth Buildings

The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously passed a bill Tuesday that would test energy efficient technologies in state buildings.

The State Agency Green Technology Act aims to reduce the commonwealth’s carbon output while saving money, increasing energy conservation and promoting new environmental technologies.

Sen. Matt Smith (D-Allegheny) said, under the bill, state buildings would invest in products such as energy efficient insulation and windows that hold heat in the winter and releases it in the summer.

“All of these technologies are available now,” he said. “So we thought as a state, let’s use the Department of General Services and state-owned building as a way to test how well these products and efficiencies are working.”

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, buildings account for 39 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the country and consume 70 percent of nation’s electricity.

Smith also said the bill could save taxpayers’ money in the long run.

“We can do that through energy efficiency upgrades in our state buildings, through lowering the utility costs through certain buildings and that can be done in both in new construction and what’s called retrofitting existing structures,” he said.

Smith offered an amendment to the bill, which would establish program guidelines set by the Alternative Energy Investment Act of 2008, which created a $650 million fund to be used for renewable energy and energy conservation projects.

“This amendment was simply to clarify that the already strong legislation in place, that we would use that legislation as the benchmark for proper and efficient energy efficient standards being utilized under this law,” he said.

Smith said the buildings won’t just install any energy efficient product. The technologies must have the “potential for commercialization in two years or less” and can’t do harm to any existing equipment.

There would be no upfront costs to implement the program, according to Smith.

The bill now heads back to the House for a concurrence vote. There are three voting days remaining on the legislative calendar.

The Erie, PA native has been a fellow in the WESA news department since May 2013. Having earned a bachelor's degree in print journalism from Duquesne University, he is now pursuing an M.A. in multi-media management. Michael describes his career aspiration as "I want to do it all in journalism."