The Pennsylvania House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee June 2 passed House Bill 501, a central piece of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s broader “Lightning Plan” energy strategy.
Specifically, the bill would implement the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS) to expand the state’s alternative energy mandates and require a greater share of electricity from sources like wind and solar.
“Pennsylvania’s energy future is on the line,” the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association (PMA) said Monday. “House Bill 501 threatens to dismantle our competitive energy market, drive up electricity costs, weaken our grid reliability, and make us more dependent on foreign supply chains tied to unethical labor practices.”
Opponents also argue that the timing of the proposal couldn’t be worse, noting that on June 1, electricity rates across Pennsylvania soared by as much as 16 percent.
Meanwhile, supporters say PRESS is key to modernizing Pennsylvania’s energy system.
However, according to an analysis from the Commonwealth Foundation, the PRESS mandate could impose $155 billion in additional statewide electricity costs for businesses and households by 2035.
Combined with another part of the Lightning Plan — the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Act (PACER) — analysts project that overall electricity rates would increase by 60 percent, with residential electric bills more than doubling.
In a scathing response to the House committee vote, André Béliveau, senior manager of energy policy at the Commonwealth Foundation, accused Shapiro and Democratic lawmakers of prioritizing political agendas over economic sense.
“Once again, Gov. Shapiro and House Democrats threaten Pennsylvania’s energy future in favor of special ‘green’ energy interests,” Béliveau said in a statement. “Rather than advocating for policy and regulatory reform that would unleash Pennsylvania’s energy dominance and make electricity more affordable, they instead choose to subsidize costly and unreliable energy sources that undercut the state’s economic future.”
Béliveau also cited the irony of sidelining natural gas — a resource he says has helped the commonwealth achieve significant carbon emission reductions.
“Pennsylvania’s transition from coal to clean-burning natural gas cut 9 million metric tons of emissions from our atmosphere between 2018 and 2023,” he said. “It is irresponsible for Gov. Shapiro and House Democrats to push a climate agenda that punishes Pennsylvania for succeeding in the very thing they set out to achieve.”
The PMA echoed those concerns Monday urging citizens to contact lawmakers.
“This legislation will make us more dependent on foreign adversaries for energy infrastructure, all while destabilizing our electric grid and making electricity more expensive for consumers,” said the association, which estimates that PRESS could raise energy costs by $6 billion over the next five years.
At the same time, the PA House Republican Policy Committee May 30 posted on X that the Shapiro-backed PRESS bill would force utilities to use more expensive intermittent energy that doesn’t always deliver steady power.
“This could cause frequent blackouts and skyrocket your electric bill, making it tougher to keep the lights on and air conditioning running during Pennsylvania’s hot summers,” the group said.
“Energy is Pennsylvania’s superpower,” added Béliveau. “It’s shameful that Shapiro wants to turn the lights out and raise energy prices in the pursuit of his own ‘Green New Deal.’”
The bill now heads to the full House for further consideration, where it is expected to face fierce debate.