PennFuture – FirstEnergy/ Allegheny Energy Partial Settlement Means $2 Million for Green Electricity, Energy Efficiency; Customers Will Benefit Directly from Agreement
 
Harrisburg — Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture) today announced that it and 19 other parties had reached a partial settlement with FirstEnergy and Allegheny Power that will provide $2 million for renewable energy development and conservation programs. This agreement comes after PennFuture and the other parties intervened before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) regarding the proposed merger of the two companies.
 
“This agreement will help build the clean energy economy in Pennsylvania with money for jobs and development, as well as direct help to customers in cutting their bills,” said Jan Jarrett, president and CEO of PennFuture. “We gained funding for clean renewable energy, and energy conservation. Much of this money will go to bring pollution-free solar energy to our state.
 
“In an energy world in turmoil, where oil, gasoline, natural gas and even coal prices are constantly fluctuating, this settlement will help bring stability to Pennsylvania’s electricity customers,” continued Jarrett. “The new investments PennFuture insisted on will go a long way to insulate customers from coal and oil price spikes by providing clean energy, made from the sun and wind and other free fuel sources, and will also allow customers to invest in conservation technologies to cut their bills.”
 
The FirstEnergy/Allegheny Energy settlement is the latest agreement PennFuture has negotiated for renewable energy and efficiency investments in Pennsylvania. Through a series of legal cases and advocacy within state government, Pennsylvania has increased investments and incentives for renewable energy by nearly $200 million.
 
Today’s settlement was also agreed to by the Office of Consumer Affairs, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, labor unions, other environmental groups, and the Trial Staff of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
 
PennFuture is a statewide public interest membership organization that advances policies to protect and improve the state’s environment and economy. With offices Across Pennsylvania, PennFuture’s activities include litigating cases before regulatory bodies and in local, state and federal courts, advocating and advancing legislative action on a state and federal level, public education and assisting citizens in public advocacy.

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