2027 is the Year: A Vetted Plan to Modernize Pennsylvania’s Energy System

Energy bills are rising in Pennsylvania, grid reliability is at risk, and families are struggling to keep up. Yet, State Senate leadership continues to hold up a slate of practical reforms that could help address some of these problems. 

Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania House has been doing the work. Especially in the House Energy Committee, under the leadership of  Chair Elizabeth Fiedler, legislators have spent months advancing bill after bill to address our energy crisis. These bills have now been fully vetted and debated, and in many cases have advanced through the House. 

Each one individually represents a practical, often bipartisan reform. Together, they make up an ambitious blueprint for modernizing Pennsylvania’s energy system.

The question is what it will take for the Senate to finally do its part. I believe we’ll find out soon. Pennsylvania can’t afford another year of inaction. Pennsylvanians are suffering under the rising cost of living, and energy is a major source of that pain: according to a recent report from the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office, energy costs over the past four years have increased at more than twice the regional rate of inflation: up 34.9% from 2022 to 2026. Most of that growth has happened in the last two years, showing that the problem is only getting worse. 

The burden is especially heavy for families already struggling to make ends meet. According to the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project, one in five Pennsylvania households report difficulty paying energy bills each month. Unsurprisingly, the greatest increase in energy insecurity has been among households with children. 

When families are forced to spend more on electricity and heating, there is less money for groceries, rent, health care, and anything else a household needs. Energy affordability is not an abstract policy issue, it is a kitchen table issue affecting communities across Pennsylvania today. 

And the consequences of inaction extend beyond the price tag. A recent report commissioned by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) shows that unless urgent action is taken to bring new energy online and govern the data centers that are driving up energy demand, Pennsylvania’s grid will take a major hit to overall reliability. In the worst case scenario – one with rising demand from data centers, but low levels of new energy coming online to meet that demand – residents could expect more than 13 power outages each year by the end of this decade. 

Utility executives are raking in profits, while the families that keep the state moving are paying more and facing the reality that they may soon be unable to keep the lights on and their homes comfortable – at any price point.

This is the backdrop for the quiet work we’ve been watching in the PA House, where members have introduced, debated, amended, refined, and eventually voted on bill after bill to modernize our grid, cut costs, rein in utility profits, and bring more clean energy online. Some of these would catch Pennsylvania up with the rest of the country, while others would set a national example.

The bills that have passed in the House will all expire when the current legislative session ends on November 30. But that’s not the target date here. The real impact of having already vetted these bills is that in early January, they can all be reintroduced and moved quickly – with the work already done, and with a potentially quite different balance of power in the Senate, Pennsylvania will be positioned to kick off 2027 by rapidly passing a wave of forward-thinking, practical, and invigorating energy reforms that get Pennsylvania on track toward a modern clean energy system. 

Most of these have already passed the House and are just waiting for the Senate to sign off. Here are a few of the biggest hits:

• HB 504 (Community Solar): Lets renters and people without suitable roofs subscribe to local solar projects, and see guaranteed savings on their monthly bills.
• HB 1834 (Data Center Regulations): Puts guardrails on data centers so their massive power demands don’t destabilize the grid or drive up costs for the rest of us.
• HB 2076 (Geothermal Energy): Sets up a clear framework for tapping into deep geothermal energy, opening the door to a huge new source of clean, reliable power.
• HB 2264 (Virtual Power Plants): Networks smart devices and batteries to ease grid strain.
• HB 2347 (PEDA Modernization): Updates the PA Energy Development Authority so the state can effectively leverage federal funding for next-generation energy tech.
• HB 2429 (Hosting Capacity Maps): Requires utilities to publish maps showing exactly where new energy projects can easily connect to the grid, cutting red tape and lowering development costs.
• HB 2595 (Interconnection reforms): Removes major obstacles to bringing distributed energy online quickly. 
• HB 1971 (Plug-In Solar): Removes barriers to the use of small portable solar panels, making affordable clean energy more accessible for all. 

Can these reforms become law while the State Senate refuses to engage with energy policy or address rising costs? Almost certainly not. But the Senate can’t hold out forever. Either because they’re forced to respond to pressure from their increasingly frustrated constituents, or because they’re expelled for poor performance, at some point soon (and January seems likely) the Senate will need a different strategy. 

When the report cards arrive, Pennsylvanians won’t forget who showed up to solve problems. And when the Senate is finally ready to act, they’ll find that the House has already done the work—a complete lineup of vetted, effective energy reforms ready to pass on day one.