The state House Republican Policy Committee recently held a hearing to discuss uncertainty facing Pennsylvania’s electricity grid.
“We’ve heard from all corners of the state that consumers cannot afford to pay their utility bills,” said state Rep. Josh Kail (R-Beaver/Washington), chairman of the committee. “That they now have to brace to live in the dark is absolutely ludicrous. “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.”
The hearing, Fighting to Keep the Lights On in PA, featured testimony from Stephen Bennett, PJM Interconnection senior manager of regulatory and legislative affairs.
Valley Forge-based PJM is a regional transmission organization on the Eastern Interconnection grid supplying electricity to all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia. This is an area that has more than 65 million people.
The organization is experiencing an increase in demand while simultaneously experiencing a reduction in supply. This has caused PJM to express reliability concerns regarding an inability to supply the growing demand for electricity.
In Pennsylvania, the natural gas and oil industry contributes $78.6 billion to the state economy, supports 497,000 jobs, and provides $335.2 million in wildlife conservation funding, according to Energy Citizens.