HARRISBURG – State Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23), chairman of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, announced plans to introduce legislation establishing the Grid Stabilization and Security Act.
The Act would direct the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to work together to identify suitable sites for natural gas electric generation projects. The goal, Yaw said, is to address the shortfall of electric generation faced by PJM, the organization that manages the mid-Atlantic power grid.
“Since 2019, there have been no new investments in baseload electric generation in Pennsylvania,” Yaw said. “To maintain our position as the energy powerhouse of the mid-Atlantic and meet growing energy demands, we need to be investing in new generation capacity now. The Grid Stabilization and Security Act will play a key role in accelerating this process and preparing sites to attract development.”
This legislation is part of Yaw’s continued work related to responsible energy development and protecting the reliability of the PJM electric grid. Last session, Yaw, along with legislators from Pennsylvania and Ohio, convened for a series of hearings to discuss the importance of collaboration to address challenges related to PJM.
Yaw has also introduced a number of other measures aimed at addressing grid reliability, including legislation to establish an Independent Energy Office in Pennsylvania, legislation to protect the power grid from purposeful damage and legislation to place decisions regarding energy restrictions within the purview of the state. Plans to reintroduce a measure from last session establishing a Pennsylvania Baseload Energy Development Fund are underway, Yaw said.
For more state-related news and information, constituents can visit Senator Yaw’s website at www.SenatorGeneYaw.com or follow him on Facebook and X @SenatorGeneYaw.
CONTACT:
Elizabeth Weitzel
717-787-3280