Governor Josh Shapiro is again on the march with Secretary Jessica Shirley to posture his position against energy innovation. Pivoting from his campaign promise to remove Pennsylvania from the job-killing Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, he’s creating his own plan: one that is sure to put Pennsylvania ratepayers in even more fiscal hardship.
The Democrat-led House of Representatives started to move the three-phase PRESS (or Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard) plan this week, which is part of the Governor’s broader approach to our energy sector ruin. Much like the ill-fated efforts of leaders in states like California, this plan will not only cost taxpayers in terms of tax dollars to the government but will undoubtedly increase energy costs for consumers in the Commonwealth. Further, it will destroy the livelihoods of those in traditional energy markets that continue to feel the heavy hand of government interference.
Among the energy sources listed as Tier 1 of the PRESS energy sources are solar energy and wind power. While an all-of-the-above approach to energy policy is generally the right thinking—why are wind and solar taking precedence, and why is Governor Shapiro unilaterally determining the “correct” source of energy for over 12 million Pennsylvania constituents?
How the administration defines “reliable standards” is inherently flawed. First, the definition fails to set forth any standard. Instead of identifying the parameters of what constitutes a “reliable energy standard,” the language states that the standards are the Tier 1, Tier II, and Tier III PRESS sources.
An energy source cannot be a standard. A source can have a standard attached to it; but without quantifiable standards of performance, a source cannot be a standard. This language is essentially saying: If these energy sources are present, then we are going to call them “reliable” regardless of whether they are actually reliable or not. This is a huge problem when the government is deciding where your tax dollars are going, and which industries are going to be determined as winners or losers.
The cost of this project is not a problem for legislators dishing out the dollars from Harrisburg. For you, the taxpayer who is forced to make tradeoffs in your spending, that’s a different story. To make this work for stockholders, the legislation lays out a plan for the Public Utility Commission to increase alternative compliance payments 15% year over year. This increase of course will not come off the bottom line for the electric companies, but will be passed on to you, the consumer.
From Erie to Scranton, Pittsburgh to Philly, and beyond: Pennsylvanians are making tradeoffs on whether or not they can put gas in their car to go to work, or put food on the table for their families. Cindy, a concerned voter in Monroeville, shared with us that she can no longer afford to put gas in her car to take her husband to his cancer treatments. These are the real stories of real Pennsylvanians who are hurting because of Harrisburg and Washington’s interference in our day-to-day lives. Instead of political posturing, give us relief. Instead of government intervention, give us energy innovation. Instead of PRESS, give us prosperity.
Make your voice heard today. Head to ProsperityIsPossible.com to sign your name to a petition that will be heard by your members in both Harrisburg and Washington. Prosperity is Possible when government gets out of the way.
This is Emily Greene, Deputy State Director with Americans for Prosperity Pennsylvania.