In response to Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget address today, Evergreen Action Director of Strategic Initiatives for States Julia Kortrey released the following statement:

“Governor Shapiro is right to remain focused on rising energy demand and surging prices for Pennsylvania ratepayers. Stronger standards for incoming data centers to bring their own power generation will lighten the burden on households and businesses as we upgrade the grid to meet demand. His bold calls today for further scrutiny into utility spending, return on equity reform, and an end to black box settlements will help build a fairer and more transparent electricity system. And his ongoing work with other governors to keep a cap on prices and hold PJM accountable has moved us in the right direction. But to truly fix the grid and stabilize costs, Governor Shapiro and the General Assembly must do more to ensure we are using the best solution we have to meet new demand: cheap clean energy.

“The governor outlined some promising steps to improve the grid on the margins. More investments in smart programs like Solar for Schools and new standards to ensure data centers support the communities where they are built can move the needle. But we know that we need more energy on the grid, and clean energy can be that solution with its fast build out opportunities. Without more energy fast, prices will continue to rise. The Lightning Plan is a necessary step to get affordable energy online now and stem the tide of skyrocketing costs. The Governor must find a way to get the job done and get new clean energy on the grid, because Pennsylvanians can’t afford any more delay.”