Oct. 10—Rep. Dane Watro, R-Hazleton, joined with his House colleagues this week to help move Pennsylvania’s energy industry forward, the legislator said.
“Pennsylvania is home to an abundance of energy resources, but we need to get government out of the way of our energy industry to allow it to reach its full potential and ensure we have an affordable, reliable energy supply,” said Watro, after signing on to a petition to bring legislation, Senate Bill 186, up for a vote in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to get the Commonwealth out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
Several states — Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont — are part of the RGGI arrangement that imposes a tax on carbon dioxide emissions by power generators, such as, coal- or natural gas-fired plants that produce electricity. Watro said that tax burden is passed on to energy consumers.
Even with Pennsylvania’s RGGI regulation under a court injunction — meaning the RGGI taxes aren’t being applied to Pennsylvania power generators — the uncertainty created by the regulation, and the possibility it could still be imposed, have caused utilities to raise electricity rates and power-generating companies to look elsewhere to locate their projects.
“Since 2019, when former Gov. Tom Wolf, without legislative authority, began the process to force Pennsylvania into RGGI, electricity rates have jumped — driving up all of our energy bills — and new energy projects in the Commonwealth have dried up, with no new natural gas plants proposed,” said Watro. “The threat of RGGI has driven private investments in energy projects — along with the jobs that money creates — to other states that aren’t part of RGGI, which is costing our state billions of dollars and weakening our ability to meet ever-growing electricity needs.”
Senate Bill 186, which would repeal the RGGI regulation, was approved by the state Senate in early February with bipartisan support. It was then referred to the House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee.
McCormick votes to pass annual defense bill
U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pittsburgh, voted this week in favor of S.2296 — the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 — which invests in defense infrastructure as well as aircraft, ships, and missiles to bolster our nation’s military readiness; addresses national security threats presented by emerging technologies; and refocuses the military on war-fighting.
The NDAA passed the Senate by a vote of 77-20.
“By making needed investments in defense infrastructure and munitions, the NDAA is a win for our brave service-members, national security, and Pennsylvania,” McCormick said. “Pennsylvania is home to facilities like the Hanwha Philly Shipyard and Tobyhanna Army Depot that are essential to our nation’s defense. These investments will drive further economic opportunity and good-paying jobs for our commonwealth while allowing Pennsylvania to play a leading role in ensuring the long-term health and readiness of America’s military arsenal.”
The NDAA includes three provisions authored McCormick, including:
—The Mexico Security Assistance Accountability Act, which would require the State Department to develop a strategy to dismantle the Mexican drug cartels that ensures U.S. security assistance is delivering the best return on investment for taxpayers.
—The Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act, which would require the U.S. Governor of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to use the voice and vote of the United States to support the admission of Taiwan as a member of the IMF, to the extent that admission is sought by Taiwan.
—A provision that would protect U.S. markets, consumers, and national economic security by requiring the Securities and Exchange Commission to study the transparency of PRC-controlled broker-dealers and investment advisors registered in the United States.
Earlier this year, McCormick supported $150 billion in historic investments in national defense.
Yaw, Miller to introduce bill against flawed power grid forecasts
State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Williamsport, and Sen. Nick Miller, D-Allentown, announced plans this week for bipartisan legislation to improve electric load forecasting — the process by which future demand on the power grid is assessed.
PJM — the organization that manages the mid-Atlantic power grid — relies heavily on forecasts submitted by Pennsylvania’s electric utilities to plan for future needs across the entire regional grid.
The legislators’ proposal will strengthen Pennsylvania’s oversight, ensuring transparency, accuracy and affordability for ratepayers.
“As demand continues to grow rapidly, it is critical that we have reliable, transparent data to guide long-term planning,” Yaw said. “This legislation will ensure the Public Utility Commission (PUC) has the tools it needs to validate forecasts and protect ratepayers from unnecessary costs.”
“Now more than ever, we must prioritize consumers and the future of energy in Pennsylvania,” Miller said. “This bipartisan legislation will enhance forecasting tools to facilitate effective planning and cost management, ultimately benefiting Pennsylvania consumers as electricity demand continues to rise.”
Electricity demand across the broader PJM region is skyrocketing, driven by the expansion of data centers, the rise of electric vehicles and the electrification of homes and commercial buildings. PJM recently projected that by 2030, demand will increase by 32 gigawatts, 30 of which will come from data centers alone.
Forecasting helps determine how much power infrastructure is needed and directly influences decisions that impact consumer costs.
To ensure accurate load forecasting in the future, the proposal from Yaw and Miller will authorize the PUC to:
—Review and validate load forecasts submitted to PJM.
—Coordinate with PJM and other state regulators to ensure accuracy and prevent duplicate counting.
—Access all relevant materials necessary to carry out this oversight.
Senate passes bill to waive interest on budget impasse loans
Pennsylvania counties, early education programs, rape prevention and domestic violence prevention centers could pay no interest on loans from the Pennsylvania Treasury under legislation approved by the Senate, according to Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, who supported the measure.
Under law, the Pennsylvania Treasurer may provide investment loans during a budget impasse, but must charge interest on those loans.
Treasury’s Budget Bridge Loan program would provide up to $500 million in low-interest loans from the Liquid Asset Pool Investment Fund for county governments, domestic violence and rape crisis centers, Head Start agencies and approved providers under the Pre-K Counts program.
Those investment loans would cover up to 25% of a recipient’s state budget appropriation from the previous fiscal year.
Senate Bill 1040 would authorize the state treasurer to waive interest charges on loans issued during a budget impasse and help prevent additional costs for taxpayers and communities.
“When budget gridlock in Harrisburg delays vital funding, it’s the people on the ground who feel it most — the counties keeping services running, the shelters protecting victims and the educators supporting our youngest learners,” Baker said. “Waiving interest on these short-term loans is a commonsense step to ease that burden and ensure taxpayer dollars are used for care and service, not unnecessary costs.”
The legislation specifies that a budgetary impasse includes periods beginning July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026, and ending on the effective dates of the General Appropriations Acts for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.