(a) Commission responsibilities.--The commission will carry out the responsibilities delineated within this act. The commission also shall, in cooperation with the department, conduct an ongoing alternative energy resources planning assessment for this Commonwealth. This assessment will, at a minimum, identify current and operating alternative energy facilities, the potential to add future alternative energy generating capacity and the conditions of the alternative energy marketplace. The assessment will identify needed methods to maintain or increase the relative competitiveness of the alternative energy market within this Commonwealth.

(b) Department responsibilities.--The department shall ensure that all qualified alternative energy sources meet all applicable environmental standards and shall verify that an alternative energy source meets the standards set forth in section 2.¹

(c) Cooperation between commission and department.--The commission and the department shall work cooperatively to monitor the performance of all aspects of this act and will provide an annual report to the chairman and minority chairman of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of the Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of the House of Representatives. The report shall include at a minimum: