New Energy Future News

PHILADELPHIA—PennEnvironment unveiled a list of 141 state-level candidates today who have gone on record in support of policies that will move Pennsylvania beyond oil and toward a cleaner energy future.

“We need leaders in Harrisburg who support moving us in a new direction on energy policy—one that puts our national security, our environment, our global climate, and our children’s futures above Big Oil and other powerful interests,” said Jossi Fritz-Mauer, field associate with PennEnvironment. “PennEnvironment applauds these candidates for recognizing the energy problems facing Pennsylvanians and stepping forward to support real solutions.”

PennEnvironment is asking all candidates running for state office to commit to supporting PennEnvironment's New Energy Future platform, which is made up of four state-level goals:
• Reduce our dependence on oil by saving one-third of the oil we use today by 2025;
• Harness clean, renewable, homegrown energy sources for at least one quarter of all energy needs by 2025;
• Save energy with high performance homes, buildings and appliances so that by 2025 we use 10 percent less energy than we do today; and
• Invest in a New Energy Future by quadrupling research and development funding for the energy-saving and renewable technologies we need to achieve these goals.

The 141 candidates who have endorsed the platform represent significant numbers of Republicans, Democrats and third party candidates, and over 50 incumbents. “It's telling that so many leaders have already recognized that the time for change is now, but we are calling for the remaining candidates to commit to seriously addressing our current energy crisis by signing onto this platform,” said Fritz-Mauer.

PennEnvironment will continue to work with over 25 organizations—including the League of Women Voters, the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, and the Pennsylvania Farmers Union—in calling on candidates to support the promise of a New Energy Future.

PennEnvironment is also working with state environmental groups across the country in calling on all Congressional candidates to break America's dependence on fossil fuels once and for all, and to make our nation cleaner and more secure for generations to come. Nationwide, more than 320 environmental, consumer, labor, and civic groups have endorsed the New Energy Future platform to take advantage of these opportunities to reduce oil use, promote the use of renewable energy, and help Americans save energy. Over 160 federal candidates nationwide have gone on record in support of the platform, including 12 in Pennsylvania.

“Pennsylvanians want to put American innovation and ingenuity to work to solve our energy problems,” stated Fritz-Mauer. “By supporting these goals, state-level and Congressional candidates can help make the promise of a New Energy Future a reality,” concluded Fritz-Mauer.

The full list of state-level candidates who support the New Energy Future platform is pasted below in a county-by-county and district number breakdown, and is also available at www.pennenvironment.org/NEF.html. The number next to each candidate name is the state House district number for which the candidate is running, except for state Senate candidates, which are noted appropriately.