The Senate Committee on Water and Land deferred SCR 106 / SR 87 indefinitely after testimony that prior state studies already address many of the resolution’s questions. The resolution would have requested the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to commission a study of which energy consumption sectors could be most quickly decarbonized through public investment in combustion‑free alternatives.

Mary Alice Evans of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development told the committee the State Energy Office completed a comprehensive decarbonization study under Act 238 (2022) and followed it with an alternative fuels analysis that includes cost‑benefit work. “They did do a decarbonization study that was quite significant body of work and is now posted on their website,” Evans said.

Advocates urged the committee to fund a separate study that excludes burnable fuels and focuses strictly on pathways that avoid combustion. “The purpose of this is to build on the work that was already done in previous studies, but take out all the burnable fuels and see what can be done with solving things without having to burn stuff,” Mike Veil of Energy Justice Network said, arguing some jurisdictions show sector‑wide decarbonization is possible using wind, solar and storage.

After discussion, the committee voted to defer SCR 106 / SR 87 indefinitely and take no immediate action on the resolution.

The deferral does not change the underlying studies already posted by the State Energy Office or prevent future, more narrowly scoped proposals.