HB 232 — An Act providing for grants for renewable energy backup systems for the community; and making an interfund transfer.

PRINTER'S NO.   185

                   THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        HOUSE BILL
                        No. 232
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY CIRESI, SANCHEZ, MADSEN, HILL-EVANS, HOHENSTEIN,
        HOWARD, FREEMAN, WEBSTER, CERRATO AND GREEN, JANUARY 22, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENERGY, JANUARY 22, 2025


                                   AN ACT
 1   Providing for grants for renewable energy backup systems for the
 2      community; and making an interfund transfer.
 3      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 4   hereby enacts as follows:
 5   Section 1.   Short title.
 6      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Sustainable
 7   Community Safe House Grant Program Act.
 8   Section 2.   Definitions.
 9      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11   context clearly indicates otherwise:
12      "Commission."   The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
13      "Department."   The Department of Community and Economic
14   Development of the Commonwealth.
15      "Eligible political subdivision."   A county, city, borough,
16   incorporated town or township and any council of governments
17   established among any of them.
18      "Fund."   The State Sustainable Energy Fund established under
 1   section 4(a).
 2      "Program."     The Sustainable Community Safe House Grant
 3   Program established under section 3(a).
 4   Section 3.     Sustainable Community Safe House Grant Program.
 5      (a)   Establishment.--The Sustainable Community Safe House
 6   Grant Program is established within the commission for the
 7   purpose of providing grants under this act.
 8      (b)   Grants.--The commission shall award grants to eligible
 9   political subdivisions for the purpose of creating and
10   maintaining renewable energy backup systems for the community. A
11   grant awarded under this act may not exceed $250,000.
12   Section 4.     State Sustainable Energy Fund.
13      (a)   Establishment.--The State Sustainable Energy Fund is
14   established as a separate fund within the State Treasury. Money
15   in the fund shall be used for the purpose of this act.
16      (b)   Continuing appropriation.--Money in the fund is
17   appropriated to the commission on a continuing basis to award
18   grants under this act.
19      (c)   Transfer.--The sum of $100,000,000 shall be transferred
20   from the General Fund to the fund.
21   Section 5.     Administration.
22      (a)   Guidelines.--The department shall promulgate guidelines
23   for the implementation and administration of this act.
24      (b)   Application.--An application for a grant under this act
25   shall be submitted by an eligible political subdivision in the
26   form and manner as prescribed by the commission, which shall
27   contain, at a minimum, the following information:
28            (1)   The name and contact information of the applicant.
29            (2)   The address of the proposed sustainable community
30      safe house, and its current use, if applicable.

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 1            (3)   The amount of grant money requested.
 2            (4)   The proposed use for the grant money requested.
 3            (5)   A description of the proposed sustainable energy
 4      generation and storage plan.
 5            (6)   A description of how this supports the community.
 6            (7)   Any other information that the commission deems
 7      necessary and appropriate.
 8      (c)   Public notice.--The commission shall provide information
 9   regarding the availability and award of grant money on the
10   commission's publicly accessible Internet website.
11   Section 6.     Awarding of grants.
12      (a)   Determination.--Within 20 days of the submission of an
13   application for a grant under section 5(b), the commission shall
14   determine:
15            (1)   Whether to disapprove, in total or in part, or
16      approve the application.
17            (2)   If approved, the amount of the grant award.
18      (b)   Considerations.--In awarding grant money to an eligible
19   political subdivision, the commission shall consider the
20   following:
21            (1)   Geographic and demographic diversity of the
22      political subdivision applying for the grant money.
23            (2)   How the community and other individuals within the
24      eligible political subdivision would be served through the
25      awarding of the grant to the eligible political subdivision.
26      (c)   Notice.--
27            (1)   The commission shall provide written notice to the
28      eligible political subdivision of the approval or disapproval
29      of an application submitted under section 5(b).
30            (2)   If the application is approved, the notice of the

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 1      award of grant money shall include the amount of the grant
 2      money awarded and any conditions or restrictions on the use
 3      of the grant money.
 4            (3)   If the application is disapproved, the notice of the
 5      disapproval of all or part of the application shall include
 6      the reasons for the full or partial disapproval.
 7            (4)   The commission shall provide copies of all notices
 8      to the department when they are provided to the department
 9      and shall provide other documents, information and data to
10      the department immediately upon request.
11   Section 7.     Report.
12      (a)   Preparation.--By September 30, 2026, the department
13   shall prepare a report that lists each eligible political
14   subdivision that received a grant under this act and a summary
15   of the information required under section 5(b).
16      (b)   Publication.--The report under subsection (a) shall be
17   posted on the department's publicly accessible Internet website.
18   Section 8.     Expiration.
19      This act shall expire December 31, 2026.
20   Section 9.     Effective date.
21      This act shall take effect immediately.




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