PennFuture Reacts to Governor Shapiro's 2026 Budget Address
Pennsylvanians need more than a failed “all-of-the-above” approach that will only increase dependence on dirty, volatile, and unreliable fossil fuels.
While Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget address aims to provide solutions, it simply does not meet the moment as we find ourselves failing to provide meaningful solutions to the energy affordability and climate crises.
"We came together on a bipartisan basis last year to remove RGGI from the conversation, and remove your excuse for not moving forward. Now is the time to act."
This new budget feels like a continuation of short-sited offerings that continue to miss the mark on climate and energy issues. Instead of delivering progress, the previous budget gave pro-fossil fuel legislators a win by removing us from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). From this new budget, Pennsylvanians need a stronger, more urgent plan to cut utility bills, protect communities, and accelerate real climate action.
"When it comes to innovation, no sector of our country’s economy is growing faster than data centers and artificial intelligence... I know Pennsylvanians have real concerns about these data centers and the impact they could have on our communities, our utility bills, and our environment."
We have concerns about the overall rapid growth of a new development moving into the Commonwealth, and we’re in agreement with the Governor that data centers and AI projects must not come at the expense of households, small businesses, or host communities. The Governor’s proposed GRID (Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development) standards are a start, but they must be paired with real protections that empower local communities to make decisions without the threat of costly legal battles. Any approach should require meaningful public participation with a requirement to act upon feedback, enforceable transparency, and clear local authority; while ensuring developers pay for the generation and grid upgrades their projects require, rather than shifting costs onto residents.
"Pennsylvania is an energy leader — and I am an all-of-the-above energy governor."
On our power grid operator PJM Interconnection, the Governor is right that grid delays and market failures are driving higher costs. But the path to lowering bills cannot rely solely on faster queues. Specifically, it requires faster connection of clean renewable generation, which is the lowest cost and quickest energy resource to deploy. It also requires significant expansion of energy storage, transmission upgrades, and aggressive use of energy efficiency that reduces demand, lowers electricity bills, and protects customers from price volatility. Pennsylvania should use every available lever to push PJM toward timely interconnections and fair, affordable outcomes.
"I’ve put forward my Lightning Plan — a comprehensive plan to build more energy generation here in the Commonwealth, reform our permitting and siting laws, and diversify our energy sector to generate more renewables... If you don’t like it — stop making excuses, put your proposal on the table, and let’s get to work."
Finally, while the Governor’s Lightning Plan acknowledges that energy affordability is a defining challenge, Pennsylvanians need more than a failed “all-of-the-above” approach that will only increase dependence on dirty, volatile, and unreliable fossil fuels. We need a plan aligned with climate science and public health, with clear, measurable commitments to cut climate pollution and deliver real bill relief, especially for low-income households that balances an energy portfolio that is currently over-reliant on unreliable, expensive gas. That means prioritizing energy efficiency, weatherization, and low-cost clean energy deployment at scale. We look forward to working with the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the Administration to strengthen this proposal, so it truly lowers bills, protects communities, and meets this moment.