Pennsylvania SR 185: A Resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission, along with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department of Environmental Protection, to conduct an assessment and develop recommendations with the intention of establishing a comprehensive State energy strategy for this Commonwealth.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 1293
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No. 185
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY COLEMAN, PHILLIPS-HILL, CULVER, ARGALL, VOGEL AND
PENNYCUICK, NOVEMBER 5, 2025
REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, NOVEMBER 5, 2025
A RESOLUTION
Directing the Joint State Government Commission, along with the
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the Department of
Community and Economic Development and the Department of
Environmental Protection, to conduct an assessment and
develop recommendations with the intention of establishing a
comprehensive State energy strategy for this Commonwealth.
WHEREAS, Electricity is a basic need, essential to every
resident, business and community in Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's economy and ability to sustain a
competitive business environment and build strong communities
relies on affordable, reliable and resilient production,
transmission and delivery of electricity; and
WHEREAS, Businesses, communities and homeowners benefit from
and demand energy supply availability from a diverse portfolio
of resources to support the delivery of reliable electricity 24
hours per day, 7 days per week and 365 days per year; and
WHEREAS, Federal and State policies to integrate renewable
resources have spurred the rapid evolution of scalable
nonthermal energy resources regionally, in PJM Interconnection,
LLC (PJM), the regional transmission organization of which
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Pennsylvania electric utilities are founding members; and
WHEREAS, As the PJM markets continue to integrate an
accelerated new resource mix, resource adequacy, generator
performance and supply reliability have been called into
question as a total of 40 gigawatts of reliable, dispatchable
generation are anticipated to be retired by 2030; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is the largest net exporter of
generation in PJM, and regional generation retirements, whether
driven by State policies within PJM, Federal policies or
economic factors, could result in a gap between the available
generation resources in PJM and the number of megawatts required
to meet regional system load; and
WHEREAS, The ability of PJM to maintain a robust, transparent
and nondiscriminatory wholesale market is essential to the
success of Pennsylvania's competitive electricity market; and
WHEREAS, PJM and its market rules are regulated by the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); and
WHEREAS, Certain recent actions by FERC and PJM could lead to
higher costs to Pennsylvania consumers, jeopardize reliability
in the region and erode the benefits Pennsylvania has achieved
since the passage of the Electricity Generation Customer Choice
and Competition Act in 1996; and
WHEREAS, PJM and other electric grid operators, serving more
than 40% of the United States population in 35 states and the
District of Columbia, are calling on regulators to strengthen
natural gas networks and market rules to help prevent energy
emergencies related to weather conditions such as winter storms;
and
WHEREAS, National trade associations representing natural gas
suppliers and marketers, interstate natural gas pipelines and
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competitive natural-gas-fired generators have proposed changes
in gas markets to mitigate the threat to continued supplies in
extreme weather; and
WHEREAS, PJM, like all regional transmission organizations,
is a voluntary organization and Pennsylvania's utilities can
leave PJM's markets if those markets are no longer supportive of
Pennsylvania's energy policies; and
WHEREAS, It is in the interest of this Commonwealth to
proactively evaluate the changing generation mix, both in
Pennsylvania and in PJM, and develop recommendations for a State
energy plan that ensures resource adequacy while also driving
economic development in this Commonwealth; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate direct the Joint State Government
Commission, along with the Pennsylvania Public Utility
Commission, the Department of Community and Economic Development
and the Department of Environmental Protection, to conduct an
assessment and develop recommendations that can serve as the
basis for a comprehensive State energy strategy, which shall
include:
(1) An evaluation of Pennsylvania's electric utility
participation in PJM, including benefits, risks and costs to
the energy security of this Commonwealth.
(2) An evaluation of the options available to
Pennsylvania under current Federal law and PJM tariffs that
would allow Pennsylvania to remain in PJM without
compromising the Commonwealth's energy policy.
(3) An evaluation of the options available to
Pennsylvania if its utilities left PJM and the possible
benefits and consequences associated with such an action.
(4) An evaluation of Pennsylvania's advocacy efforts
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