Pennsylvania lawmakers advanced Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 35% green energy plan to require 35% of electricity generation from renewable sources within a decade, a key part of his “Lightning Plan.” The measure, formally known as the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS), passed the House Environmental Committee on Monday with a 14-12 vote along strict party lines—no Republicans supported the bill, while all Democrats backed it.
Shapiro’s proposal amends the 2004 Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, aiming to boost solar, wind, and hydropower use while reducing reliance on natural gas and coal. The committee vote came just one day after steep utility rate hikes hit Pennsylvania customers, with some seeing increases of up to 16%.
Rep. Danielle Friel Otten, the bill’s sponsor, argues that Pennsylvania is falling behind other states in clean energy investment, ranking 45th nationally for renewables. “We can’t sit around and do nothing,” Otten wrote in her memo to colleagues, framing PRESS as a solution for creating “clean, reliable, and affordable energy.”
But critics warn of soaring costs and energy instability. The Commonwealth Foundation estimates the mandate will impose $155 billion in higher electricity costs over the next decade.
André Béliveau, the group’s senior energy policy manager, blasted the plan, saying it undermines Pennsylvania’s progress in cutting emissions through natural gas, which has already reduced 9 million metric tons of emissions between 2018 and 2023. “Shapiro’s ‘clean energy’ proposals harm the very energy source that made Pennsylvania a leader in carbon emission reduction: natural gas,” Béliveau said.
Conservative leaders and energy advocates argue the Lightning Plan would cripple Pennsylvania’s energy economy and hurt consumers. They warn the proposal could force higher electricity rates, strain the power grid, and undermine the natural gas industry that has been central to the state’s economy. “This Green New Deal-style plan is an attack on reliable energy and working families,” said Rep. Eric Nelson (R-Westmoreland), calling it “an unrealistic and reckless scheme that puts political ideology ahead of the real needs of Pennsylvanians.”
