A recent clash underscores the widening partisan divide over how Pennsylvania should help meet the region’s growing electricity needs.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s high-profile summit last week on the future of PJM Interconnection LLC — the nation’s largest power grid — is drawing sharp criticism from Republican state lawmakers, who accused the governor of misrepresenting PJM’s role and threatening the region’s energy stability.
Shapiro convened the first-ever event with all 13 PJM states in Philadelphia on Sept. 22, casting the forum as an unprecedented opportunity to address mounting concerns over reliability, affordability, and governance.
In his opening remarks, the governor argued that PJM has been too slow to approve new generation projects while electricity demand is surging, leaving consumers with higher bills.
“PJM has a D-minus rating for the speed of its interconnection queue. Those delays threaten the very energy projects PJM says we need,” said Shapiro. “This slow, reactive approach is no longer working for our states and the communities we serve. And it’s all happening at a time when the Trump administration is cutting funding for new energy projects that are almost complete, at a time when we need more generation.
“The result,” he added, “has been dramatically increased prices in PJM’s capacity auctions. And that has led to higher energy bills for consumers across the grid.”
The governor also raised the prospect of charting a “new course” if PJM does not modernize, a warning that set off several Republican lawmakers.
PA Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23), who chairs the State Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, said Shapiro fundamentally misunderstands PJM’s role, and is incorrectly blaming PJM for higher electricity prices largely caused by progressive energy policies in states across PJM’s footprint.
“PJM does not own generation facilities or distribution lines. It simply manages the flow of electricity across the grid,” said Yaw. “PJM is like an air traffic controller. The controller does not own the airport or the planes. They just direct traffic to ensure everyone gets where they need to go safely.”
“Blaming PJM for higher energy costs is like blaming air traffic controllers for expensive airline tickets,” he added.
State Rep. Martina White (R-170) called Shapiro’s suggestion of leaving PJM “reckless,” and warned that politicizing the regional grid operator could “destabilize the market, increase the risk of blackouts, and leave families with higher bills.”
Instead, White urged the governor to back Republican proposals to exit the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), cut energy-related taxes, and ease permitting for new generation projects.
“PJM has repeatedly warned that our country is not producing nearly enough electricity to keep up with demand,” said White, who chairs the House Republican Caucus. “Continuing to ignore these warnings in favor of prioritizing unworkable green energy policy over reliable electricity generation is damaging our grid and costing consumers, which was all too evident in June when electricity prices rose nearly 20 percent for the second consecutive year.”
Threatening PJM won’t produce a single megawatt of power, and it won’t lower a single family’s electric bill, she said, adding that if Shapiro wants to lower energy prices and protect reliability, he should “fix the broken state-level process that makes Pennsylvania a hostile place for investment in new generation energy production.”
PA House Republican Leader Jesse Topper (R-78) also called for “pro-energy policies,” saying the state must prepare for an estimated 15-percent increase in electricity demand over the next five years, fueled by data centers and other industries.
“This is the time for action,” said Topper, adding that Pennsylvania’s energy economy has been stagnant for too long.
“The policy proposals we need to make are simple, yet they can be transformative for our future,” he said. “If Pennsylvania wants to capitalize on its economic growth potential in both the tech and energy sectors, that starts with smart policy choices that clear the way in unleashing the power-generating resources right under our feet.”
PA Sen. Scott Martin (R-13), who chairs the State Senate Appropriations Committee, pointed out that the governor’s insistence on appealing court rulings against RGGI is stifling investment in baseload power, and called it “beyond frustrating” that Shapiro continues to make PJM a scapegoat for poor energy policies.
“The Commonwealth Court already ruled that RGGI is unconstitutional. The most important thing Gov. Shapiro could do to unleash Pennsylvania’s energy potential is by dropping his appeal of the RGGI ruling and getting government out of the market’s way,” said Martin. “He hasn’t come anywhere close to doing that during his nearly three years in office.”
Despite the criticisms, Shapiro said the summit marked a turning point for the region.
“This system needs real reform,” he said. “If we need to chart a new course that delivers more for the good people of Pennsylvania — we will.”