Current Legislation - House Bill 408
Representative Harry Moberly (D, Madison County), introduced House Bill 408 on February 9th, 2010. This bill would accomplish some of KySEA's aims. KySEA's membership has contributed significant input to the bill.
To read the text of this bill, click here.
To download a one-page summary of this bill, click here.
If passed, House Bill 408:
1. Establish a Renewable and Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS), comprised of an Energy Efficiency Standard and a Renewable Portfolio Standard. A REPS requires electric utilities to meet specified efficiency and renewable energy standards.
2. Implement feed-in tariffs for renewable energy production. These are are guaranteed rates for specific types of renewable energy produced in-state.
3. Allow utilities to install "load interrupters" as a term of service for all residential customers.
4. Enable energy intensive industries to recover costs attributed to the requirements of this bill through income tax credits.
The measures in this bill would:
Encourage entrepreneurship and local job growth, ensuring that Kentucky is regionally competitive in the clean energy market. This bill will provide incentives for entrepreneurs to generate renewable energy and create clean energy businesses in every Kentucky community. As a result, Kentucky will keep pace with national trends, reversing today’s outflow to Ohio and Indiana of clean energy purchases and high quality jobs.
Protect Kentucky families and businesses from economic risk. By diversifying Kentucky’s energy mix, the legislation will stabilize energy bills in the long-term, making our families and businesses less economically vulnerable. As any wise investor knows, it’s never a good idea to have all your eggs in one basket. Kentucky currently gets 98% of our electricity from fossil fuels. Transitioning to a cleaner and more diverse set of energy sources will reduce our exposure in an uncertain energy future.
Help Kentucky families and businesses save energy and money. All electric customers will have affordable access to utility-sponsored efficiency programs under this bill, including families vulnerable in the face of steeply rising energy costs. By participating in these programs, customers will experience immediate benefit from lowered energy use.
Build on Kentucky’s clean energy momentum. Programs such as Clean Energy Corps, funded in large part through dwindling stimulus funds, have created new clean energy job tracks across the state. Graduates from energy auditor training programs recently established at area technology centers, such as Pikeville’s Millard ATC, are already employed. This bill is needed to maintain progress, ensure job stability for recently employed Kentuckians, and create new jobs for young and displaced workers.
Reduce harm to our health and environment. Using clean energy, as defined by this bill, will lower pollution levels in our air and water. Lower pollution equals better health for Kentuckians. The less sick we are, the fewer dollars we spend on health care and public health costs.
Create incentives necessary for utilities to invest in energy efficiency and clean renewable sources – and hold them accountable for meeting modest goals. The requirements defined in this bill are based on policies that are all ready working to save energy and create jobs in Ohio and North Carolina. Utilities in Kentucky should be expected to meet these same basic standards for cleaning up their energy production and helping customers to save energy and money.
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