(The Center Square) – Whether it’s gas or “green,” most Pennsylvanians just want affordable electricity.
This according to a new statewide poll from Public Opinion Strategies released Thursday, which found that three-quarters of respondents worry about access to affordable electricity in Pennsylvania and nationwide.
Another 78% said their household energy bills have risen over the last two years as part of an inflationary trend that some attribute to uncertain state and federal government regulations.
The pattern holds steady as power companies in central and western Pennsylvania prepare to raise rates next month. On the horizon, a pending court decision could saddle ratepayers with a regional carbon tax.
Or, state lawmakers could throw support behind Gov. Josh Shapiro’s package of Pennsylvania-centric programs meant to lower emissions, expand the use of solar and wind energy, and increase investment from energy companies.
Polling indicates that most residents prioritize affordable electricity and power grid stability and want lawmakers on either side of the aisle to figure out how best to do it. In the meantime, 69% of respondents will conserve energy by turning off lights, appliances and electronics while not in use, while only 7% will install solar panels and 10% will buy an electric vehicle.
The Commonwealth Foundation, a policy group focused on fiscal conservancy in state government, said the latter shows that prioritizing climate policy over energy affordability is a mistake.
“Amid skyrocketing electricity rates and the prospect of climate policies that will further exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis, voters are demanding access to more affordable energy,” said Erik Telford, the foundation’s senior vice president of public affairs.
The poll, commissioned by the foundation, compiled responses from 800 registered voters between May 16-21. Roughly two-thirds said they were unaware of the incoming rate hikes for PPL and Duquesne Light of 16% and 15%, respectively.
For the Shapiro administration, however, legislative support for his PACER and PRESS programs – which are part of the governor’s broader climate and energy goals in the Lightning Plan – would lower prices over the next 15 years, saving customers $644 million and attracting $11.4 billion in “reliable energy investments.”
“We have to meet this moment and this plan builds on the work my administration did last year to bring together leaders from the energy industry, organized labor and environmental groups, and consumer advocates to develop a plan for the future,” Shapiro said earlier this year in Pittsburgh.
The foundation said Shapiro’s plans would have the opposite effect: rates would climb 60% over the next decade, doubling household electricity bills. Meanwhile, a tripling of the amount of power derived from renewable resources – which are considered less reliable than fossil fuel and nuclear plants – would destabilize the power grid, not balkanize it.
Even PJM, the power grid operator for 13 mid-Atlantic states and Washington, D.C., and the organizations with which it collaborates, said the system is at a crossroads.
“Make no mistake: transitioning the energy mix isn’t a simple task,” said Diane Holder, vice president of engineering and strategic engagement at Reliability First, a regional entity of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, during a state House committee hearing earlier this month. “It’s not a shift from one resource to another. It’s a monumental change to how the bulk power system operates and it will take careful planning – and we risk blackouts if we don’t get this right.”
Holder highlighted data revealed in NERC’s Long Term Reliability Assessment, released in December. The report evaluates resource adequacy across North America.
It states that generation is retiring faster than new resources are coming online and rising electricity demand is further compounding the challenge.
Calling it “very concerning,” she noted it shows more than half of the continent is at high or elevated risk of resource adequacy shortfalls over the next ten years.
While the PJM region isn’t considered “high” risk, it is currently rated as “elevated.” Notably, last year’s assessment was “normal,” so things have worsened, she said.
