Governor Rendell met with Park Cunningham Jr. Who, like other residential customers of the electric utility Metropolitan Edison, could face a 54 percent increase in his electricity bill after rate caps expire on Dec. 31, 2010. Cunningham is a 75-year-old retiree.

The Governor said expecting Pennsylvanias seniors who are living on fixed incomes or families with budgets already stretched thin by rising gasoline prices is unconscionable. He said its why the legislature should pass his Energy Independence Strategy now.

Its been nearly 16 months since I unveiled the Energy Independence Strategy, said Governor Rendell. In that time, gasoline prices have shot up more than 70 percent. If we do nothing now, the financial pain our families are now facing will only be exacerbated once the existing electricity rate caps expire and households are forced to pay substantially higher energy bills.

The Governor said estimates by the states consumer advocate, Sonny Popowsky, found that residential consumers in the five service territories where caps are still in place -- PPL, MetEd, PECO, Penelec and West Penn Power -- could pay $1.55 billion more than todays rates for electricity by 2011.

Rather than sit back and wait for this economic train wreck to hit us, we have the opportunity to do something about it, said the Governor. That's an opportunity other states didn't take advantage of. When Marylands rates jumped more than 70 percent, businesses closed doors and employees lost their jobs. The rates in Illinois spiked 50 percent and lawmakers there had to enact legislation to protect consumers and require that utilities pay $1 billion in rebates. Then theres Virginia, which simply re-regulated its electricity market after deregulation didn't produce lower rates.

We dont have to go that route here, said Governor Rendell. The legislature has a package of bills that will protect consumers and help them save money by making it easier to conserve electricity and use it in a more efficient manner. At the same time, my strategy will encourage the development of clean, renewable energy that is increasingly more competitive in terms of cost with conventional fuels and promises to create thousands of good paying jobs.

The Governor urged prompt action by the General Assembly on the following bills:

+ H.B. 2201, which is awaiting a vote in both chambers, will require utilities to buy power for their customers in a competitive manner so that consumers benefit from service at the lowest reasonable rate. The bill will require utility service providers to procure power through a mix of short- and long-term contracts and spot market purchases, and obligate the Public Utility Commission to ensure that the procurement process is free of fraud, collusion or market manipulation.

+ Special Session House Bill 1, which was adopted by the House on March 11, will provide funding to develop solar, wind and other advanced energy industries, make it easier for consumers to purchase and install solar panels, continue the states leadership in energy-efficient green buildings, and give consumers help in purchasing high-efficiency heating/cooling equipment and appliances. The bill allows Pennsylvania to attract $3.5 billion in private investment by leveraging $850 million in new resources in projects that will help create 13,000 new, green-collar jobs in the commonwealth.

+ H.B. 2200 was passed by the House on Feb. 12 and will help consumers save on their energy bills by conserving electricity and using it more efficiently. Once fully implemented, House Bill 2200 will save consumers $1.3 billion by 2012 on their energy bills through conservation and bringing down the cost of electricity during peak load times -- when demand is highest and electricity is most expensive.

+ H.B. 1202, or Governor Rendells PennSecurity Fuels Initiative legislation, has been awaiting action by the Senate since June. It requires nearly 1 billion gallons of biofuels to be produced and consumed in the commonwealth. By 2017, 1 billion gallons will equal what Pennsylvania is expected to import from the Persian Gulf.

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