An Act providing for community energy facilities; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, electric distribution companies and subscriber organizations; and providing for prevailing wage and labor requirements.
HB 504, the Community Energy Act, establishes a framework for third-party-owned community energy projects (like solar gardens) in Pennsylvania. It requires electric distribution companies to connect these facilities, provides bill credits to subscribers (homeowners, renters, and businesses) for energy generated, and ensures guaranteed savings by linking subscription payments to bill reductions. Key provisions include setting size limits (max 5,000 kW for most facilities), mandating that at least 50% of subscriptions come from small users or farms, and requiring fair wages for construction workers. The bill directly affects electric companies (with new connection duties), community energy organizations (as owners/operators), and subscribers (who gain access to shared renewable energy).
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Apr 23, 2025
Last action May 22, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Printer's No. PN1481
→
Printer's No. PN1628
·
5 edits
MODERATE
This updated version of the bill expands the scope of community energy facilities by adding specific provisions for renewable natural gas devices connected to anaerobic digesters. It also clarifies rules for nonresidential customers subscribing to multiple facilities and strengthens protections for ratepayers by explicitly preventing subscription transfers from altering a customer's original rate class. Additionally, the bill now requires electric distribution companies to report specific details about bill credit calculations to ensure transparency.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded to include renewable natural gas devices co-located with anaerobic digesters and to allow nonresidential customers to subscribe to multiple community energy facilities under specific conditions.
ELIGIBILITY
Added eligibility for renewable natural gas devices co-located with anaerobic digesters to generate electricity, heat, or transportation fuel.
REQUIREMENT
Clarified that nonresidential customers may subscribe to multiple community energy facilities, provided no more than one subscription is under a net credit agreement.
Added explicit language prohibiting the alteration of a subscriber's original rate class at any time after enrollment.
Updated the definition of 'Community energy organization' to clarify exclusions regarding serving independent electric loads.
TECHNICAL
Inserted a new definition for 'Renewable natural gas device' to cover specific agricultural energy applications.
Floor votes · House May 6, 2025
How they voted
166–37
Passed
Total votes 203
May 6, 2025
D
Democratic102
100% Yea
R
Republican101
63% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
11
Key actions
4
Committee
5
May 22, 2025
Committee
Referred to Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure
upper
May 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
lower
May 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Re-reported as committed
lower
May 6, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (166-37)
house
May 6, 2025
Committee
Re-committed to Appropriations
lower
May 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported as committed
lower
Apr 23, 2025
Committee
Referred to Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities
lower
1 primary · 46 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Pete Schweyer
DDemocratic
Co
Abigail Salisbury
DDemocratic
Co
Aerion Abney
DDemocratic
Co
Amen Brown
DDemocratic
Co
Arvind Venkat
DDemocratic
Co
Ben Sanchez
DDemocratic
Co
Ben Waxman
DDemocratic
Co
Bob Freeman
DDemocratic
Co
Carol Hill-Evans
DDemocratic
Co
Carol Kazeem
DDemocratic
Co
Chris Pielli
DDemocratic
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