HARRISBURG, PA (April 25, 2025) – This week, Pennsylvania legislators introduced six bills as part of Governor Shapiro’s “Lightning Plan,” which was announced in January. These bills include policies for enhancing the siting, production, and usage of renewable and fossil fuel energy sources alike and updating an outdated energy efficiency program.
Despite growing energy demand from data centers leading to an increased need for clean, reliable energy, only 3% of Pennsylvania’s energy currently comes from renewable sources. Legislation in the Lightning Plan, namely the Pennsylvania Renewable Energy Standards and Sustainability (PRESS), the Reliable Energy Siting and Electric Transition Board (RESET), and the Community Energy bills have the potential to greatly promote the deployment of affordable, renewable energy in Pennsylvania while creating good-paying jobs.
Alex Bomstein, Clean Air Council Executive Director, issued the following statement:
“Our Commonwealth is experiencing an ever-increasing demand for energy that is clean and affordable, especially as more extreme weather events threaten the reliability of gas-fired power plants and as we fail to take aggressive action against polluting industries that increase energy demand while contributing to climate change. These bills that are part of Governor Shapiro’s Lightning Plan are overall an important step in tackling this issue. However, it is critical that Pennsylvania prioritize renewable energy over adding more unreliable fossil fuels to our grid. We look forward to working with the Governor’s office and the Legislature to ensure this plan helps realize new, clean energy projects that keep our air clean, our communities healthy, and our energy affordable.”
PHILADELPHIA (January 31, 2025) – This week, Governor Shapiro announced a new energy plan for Pennsylvania, the “Lightning Plan,” to cut energy costs for consumers and boost energy efficiency, renewables, and fossil fuels alike. Currently, only 3% of Pennsylvania’s energy comes from renewable sources. As AI and cryptocurrency demand ever more electricity, Pennsylvania must respond swiftly by bringing more renewable energy online to ensure the affordability of energy costs.
The Governor’s plan aims to grow Pennsylvania’s energy sector by revamping tax credits to incentivize energy investment, speeding project permitting, updating Pennsylvania’s flagship energy efficiency program, and enhancing access to community energy, such as solar. The plan also includes energy policies introduced by the Governor last year, which would increase renewable energy standards and cap pollution from the power sector.
Alex Bomstein, Clean Air Council Executive Director, issued the following statement:
“There is much to like in Governor Shapiro’s ambitious energy plan, such as its support for renewable energy development and modernizing energy standards. At the same time, fossil fuels compete with renewables, and the details of some of these proposals will be critical to ensure they help more than they harm. We must take every available action to ensure Pennsylvania doesn’t lose out on this opportunity to create jobs, lower energy costs, diversify our energy mix, and cut harmful pollution by boosting cheap and abundant renewables.”
