Rep. Struzzi Highlights Urgent Energy Challenges Facing Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is facing a significant energy crisis, according to state Rep. Jim Struzzi (R-Indiana), who spoke during a Capitol news conference in Harrisburg.
“House Democrats are continuing to experiment with our energy resources,” Struzzi remarked after a hearing conducted by the state House Republican Policy Committee focused on energy issues. “These failed experiments must come to an end.”
The hearing, titled “Fighting to Keep the Lights On in PA,” was chaired by Rep. Josh Kail (R-Beaver County) and aimed to address the uncertainties surrounding Pennsylvania’s electricity grid. Stephen Bennett, senior manager of regulatory and legislative affairs for PJM Interconnection, also spoke at the forum. PJM provides electricity to over 65 million people across 13 states and Washington, D.C. and has warned of impending blackouts by 2030 if demand continues to grow without adequate supply.
Kail stated that Pennsylvania is on the brink of a crisis as electrical demand rises while the state’s electricity production capabilities decline, despite having abundant energy resources.
Rep. Martin T. Causer (R-Potter County), minority chairman of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, echoed these concerns. “We have been raising alarms for some time about the stability of our grid,” Causer said. “PJM has voiced real concerns, and the proposed energy policies by Democrats in Harrisburg are exacerbating the situation.”
Causer was specifically referring to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS) proposal, which aims to initiate a “new era of reliable, sustainable energy” in the state by updating the two-decade-old Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards.
Causer criticized the proposal, labeling it the governor’s “Green New Deal,” alluding to the Biden-Harris Administration’s energy initiatives. He argued that it leads the state in the wrong direction by mandating certain intermittent energy sources that are less reliable and more costly, without the backing of expensive government subsidies.
While Democratic lawmakers have introduced bills supporting the Shapiro proposal in both legislative chambers, progress has been slow. A committee vote on the proposal was reportedly scheduled by the Democratic majority but was later withdrawn, according to Causer.
Democratic House leaders could not be reached for comment on the matter.
