We previously reported the introduction of HB 34 in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The bill, which is strongly supported by Republican Representative Kate Harper, has passed the House and now moves to the Senate for consideration.
Upon passage out of the House, Representative Harper was quoted as saying that the use of “high-performance building standards is an important investment in our future.” She continued: “We are talking about buildings that will be in use for decades to come. Investing in energy-efficient construction today is the right thing to do for both current and future generations of Pennsylvanians.”
The bill, which limits the high performance standards imposed to state-owned or leased buildings, is designed to lower long term costs at the expense of more expensive up-front construction costs. “To make sure the investment is worthwhile for taxpayers, the bill requires that the difference between the actual project cost and the lowest cost alternative should have an estimated recovery period of not more than 10 years,” Harper said.
It is unknown whether the Senate will pass the bill as adopted by the House and send it to Governor Corbett for signature or if it will make any changes. We will keep you updated.
