Senator Joe Pittman has released a statement on the Public Utility Commission’s announcement on electric reliability.
PUC Chairman Steve DeFrank said in his announcement that the state is at an “energy crossroads” and that while data centers are bringing significant opportunities, it will also increase energy demand and that, in turn, will have serious reliability risks on the electricity grid. The commission also released a report from Synapse Energy Logistics that says based on current load forecasts from regional power grid operator PJM and assuming no additional policy actions, the regional grid will not be able to meet PJM’s reliability planning standard from 2027 to 2030.
In his own statement, Senator Pittman said that the problem is not just from growing demand but from a lack of supply, which was hampered by the state’s involvement in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. He said that “while we cannot correct the harm from past decisions by the Executive Branch, we must come together to find ways to support hard-working families across Pennsylvania by making energy more affordable now and in the future.” He cited both the future Homer City energy campus and the refiring of Three-Mile Island as examples of how data centers can and should identify their own power sources. Pittman added that all power sources should be considered to help strengthen the state’s energy grid.
