Reaction to Shapiro\u2019s plan to lower electricity rates<\/p>\n
Community Legal Services attorney Rob Ballenger represents PECO customers who have suffered electricity shutoffs. He said shutoffs can be devastating.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cOur clients can get displaced from their homes,\u201d said Ballenger. \u201cThey can be required to place their children with relatives or be involved with DHS potentially, and there\u2019s research that really highlights that these kinds of disruptions cause lasting mental and physical health risks.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Ballenger said shutoffs can also be life-threatening and hopes to work with lawmakers on legislation to carry out the governor\u2019s plans.\n<\/p>\n
POWER Interfaith, a climate and racial justice organization, said the organization is \u201ccautiously optimistic\u201d about the governor\u2019s plan.\n <\/p>\n
\u201cWe welcome the Governor\u2019s commitment to hold giant utility companies accountable for raking in huge profits while raising our utility bills and failing to do enough to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels,\u201d said POWER\u2019s Sara Melton in a statement. \u201cCommunities deserve a real seat at the table when decisions affect their air, their water, and their monthly bills.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
PECO defended its practices, saying in a statement its plans to invest about $10 billion in infrastructure upgrades over the next five years will improve reliability.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cInvestments like these have resulted in service reliability ranking PECO among the best in the nation as benchmarked against our peers, and as our performance during Winter Storm Fern showed, a resilient, well-funded grid is essential when customers need it most,\u201d the statement read. \u201cThese investments also drive economic growth and support thousands of local jobs.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania\u2019s deregulated energy market<\/a> allows independent producers to supply electricity. It also decouples energy production from distribution as a way to encourage more competition, something the electric utilities have been seeking to reverse.\n<\/p>\n PECO\u2019s statement pointed to independent suppliers, saying their profits should also be scrutinized. The company encouraged \u201caccelerating new power plant connections, expanding solar and battery storage, and exploring utility-generated energy to serve as a potential backstop solution to meet growing energy demand.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Shapiro also pointed to his set of energy proposals announced last year called the Lightning Plan<\/a>, which includes green energy tax credits and increases the amount of renewable energy utilities would be required to tap. Conservative critics have rejected the push for renewables as an additional tax and say Pennsylvania needs to build more power plants to replace retiring coal and natural gas facilities.\n<\/p>\n