The PA Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would overhaul elements of the commonwealth’s energy development system — a move hailed by the Republican majority as a way to attract more investment but decried by Democrats as an attempt to skirt environmental regulations.
“We shouldn’t be throwing comprehensive, complex legislation in our laps at the last minute and expecting us to support it without the proper vetting,” Costa said. But the bill was amended to also include a reorganization of the PA Energy Development Authority , which is responsible for doling out grants and loans to energy-generating projects.
PEDA will potentially be handling large amounts of federal money passed through recent infrastructure bills, with Republicans saying the agency needs to be streamlined to get projects done without the potential delays caused by DEP reviews. In urging his colleagues to vote for the bill, Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana County, pointed to recent instances of Pennsylvania losing out on natural gas projects that have instead happened in neighboring states.