Lower Bucks Today

A group of state House Republicans has introduced a package of bills aimed at addressing energy affordability across Pennsylvania. The bills are a response to what the representatives see as Governor Josh Shapiro's impact on citizens' wallets in terms of energy costs.

Representative Aaron Kaufer, speaking on behalf of the group, highlighted the importance of the bills, stating, "Households across the Commonwealth experience the impacts of high energy costs, as some are forced to reduce spending on food, medicine, or other necessities in order to heat their homes. This is unacceptable, especially when rising prices are attributable to government regulations and policies."

The package of nine bills includes various proposals to tackle energy affordability challenges in the state. For example, Representative Fritz's legislation suggests creating an Independent Energy Advocate within the Department of Environmental Protection to oversee actions impacting Pennsylvania's energy portfolio. Representative Cabell's initiative models after a 529 Plan to allow energy bills to be paid with pre-tax dollars.

Representative Owlett's bill proposes renaming the Department of Environmental Protection to the Department of Energy and Environmental Services to better reflect community needs. Meanwhile, Representative Struzzi has two bills in the package, one of which would create an independent agency to oversee regulations impacting the state's energy portfolio.

Representative Joe Hamm's legislation aims to direct Pennsylvania's entry into a power-exporting state consortium within the PJM Interconnection to coordinate wholesale electricity movement.

The Republican representatives emphasize that their bill package aims to put Pennsylvanians in control of their energy costs, rather than energy companies or bureaucratic red tape. The proposed bills cover a range of strategies to address energy affordability concerns and provide relief to residents struggling with high energy expenses.

For more details on the specific bills and their sponsors, interested parties can refer to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives website.