Today, on January 30, 2025, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced his new comprehensive Lightning Plan, which includes the reintroduction of energy solutions such as the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS)–an expansion of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS)–and the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction (PACER) Initiative–a PA-specific cap-and-invest program.
The proposed plan also includes an expansion of the 2022 Pennsylvania Economic Development for a Growing Economy (PA EDGE) Tax Credit Program and the creation of a Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Siting and Electric Transition (RESET) Board, which will prioritize streamlining the process for building energy projects, a process that currently takes an average of eight years to complete. The RESET Board will speed up permitting, reduce red tape, and support the next generation of energy projects in the state. Together with PRESS, the EDGE Tax Credit Programs’s Reliable Energy Investment Credit will support adding clean, reliable energy sources to secure our grid. EEN Action applauds the Governor’s particular focus on rural communities, farmers, and low-income Pennsylvanians through his new “Community Energy” proposal, as well as his plans to reform Act 129 for the first time in nearly two decades.
In response, Carolyn Heckman, Associate Director of Pennsylvania Policy for EEN Action–the 501(c)(4) partner of the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN)–released the following statement:
“Evangelicals welcome this important step toward a safe and healthy future for all generations and thank Governor Shapiro for his leadership. In addition to his recent successful settlement with PJM saving consumers $21 billion over the next two years, Governor Shapiro is tackling the energy issues and costs that PA residents and their children are facing–now and in the future–with his new Lightning Plan. To ensure a holistic abundant life for all (John 10:10), we need more clean, affordable, reliable, and pollution-free energy coming onto the commonwealth’s grid. Modernizing and diversifying our grid with clean energy will not only better defend our children’s health by reducing harmful air pollutants and carbon emissions but is also necessary to reliably meet Pennsylvania’s rising energy demands.
“Clean energy solutions like those in the Governor’s Lightning Plan are not only smart but popular, too. Last year, over 32,000 Pennsylvanians gave their support for an expanded Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS), and the included PRESS proposal would do just that. The Lightning Plan will deliver economic benefits to Pennsylvania ratepayers, rural and frontline communities, farmers, and workers. We look forward to working with Governor Shapiro to continue to improve the plan and make it as strong as possible to defend the lives and health of Pennsylvania’s children. We urge the legislature to come together around these policies to ensure Pennsylvania remains a leader in our clean energy future.”