Dauphin News

The House Republican Policy Committee, chaired by Josh Kail (R-Beaver/Washington), held a hearing today to address concerns about Pennsylvania's electricity grid. The session, titled “Fighting to Keep the Lights On in PA,” included testimony from Stephen Bennett, senior manager of regulatory and legislative affairs at PJM.

PJM, which supplies electricity to over 65 million people across 13 states and Washington, D.C., has raised alarms about the reliability of the grid due to increasing demand and decreasing supply. Their latest capacity auction showed a significant rise in capacity prices, highlighting these issues.

Kail criticized proposed energy policies by Democrats, arguing that they would prevent Pennsylvania from utilizing its natural resources effectively. He claimed this would result in missed investment opportunities, job losses, and reduced environmental sustainability.

Pennsylvania's natural gas and oil industry is a major economic contributor, supporting 497,000 jobs and adding $78.6 billion to the state economy. It also provides $335.2 million for wildlife conservation funding. Energy Citizens noted that Pennsylvania leads globally in emissions reductions.

“We’ve heard from all corners of the state that consumers cannot afford to pay their utility bills. That they now have to brace to live in the dark is absolutely ludicrous,” said Kail. “Pennsylvania is a net-energy generator, and the best way forward for Pennsylvania is to utilize its resources. The world is a better place with PA energy.”

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