Rate Shock: The Deepening Energy Affordability Crisis

Thursday, January 15, 2026; HARRISBURG, P.A. — Every day Pennsylvania’s lawmakers stall, the Commonwealth’s affordability crisis deepens. Families and local businesses pay the price for our state government’s failure to act on urgently needed energy reforms. 

Inaction on balancing our energy portfolio caused our current predicament: Pennsylvania’s dangerous dependence on volatile fracked gas and a lack of renewables now holds consumers hostage, hitting Pennsylvanians’ wallets and threatening reliability. Pennsylvania won’t be able to drill itself out of this affordability crisis, especially with large data centers about to strain the power grid even further. 

Today, PennFuture and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania launched The Energy Affordability Agenda, a compilation of clear, actionable solutions for our state leaders that will lower Pennsylvanians’ household energy bills and bring down costs for local businesses. 

The Energy Affordability Agenda is a tiered response to Pennsylvania's energy crisis, detailing immediate, short-term, and long-term consumer cost solutions.  

“These are not hypothetical solutions. This is actionable legislation drafted by our energy, sustainable economics, and policy experts that will smartly tackle the energy affordability crisis quickly,” said Patrick McDonnell, PennFuture’s President & CEO. “Elected officials must recognize that the average Pennsylvanian cannot wait a decade for relief. They need to take immediate action in 2026.” 

“Pennsylvania has fallen behind our neighbors in pursuit of an energy economy that works for all of us. And far too many of our leaders in Harrisburg have abdicated their responsibility to pass policies that lower bills, diversify our portfolio, and ensure reliable access to electricity,” said Molly Parzen, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania’s Executive Director. “The solutions we’re proposing are common sense. We urge the legislature and the Shapiro Administration to get to work on these priorities this session because, quite simply, Pennsylvanians cannot afford to wait for relief.” 

PennFuture and CVPA provided copies of the Energy Affordability Agenda to each member of the Pennsylvania legislature and Governor Shapiro’s Office. 

For the public, PennFuture and CVPA will host an educational webinar on Tuesday, February 10th at 6 PM ET — A Pathway to Energy Affordability for Pennsylvania Webinar —to learn how the Energy Affordability Agenda can direct Pennsylvania’s state leaders to lower our energy bills with a clean, sustainable energy future. 

PennFuture is a member-supported, statewide environmental advocacy nonprofit and watchdog fighting against potential threats to PA's clean air, pure water, and healthy climate. Since 1998, PennFuture has combined legislative advocacy and legal enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels, educational outreach, and civic engagement support for just and equitable environmental outcomes that improve the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians. 
PennFuture has stood at the forefront of major environmental milestones in Pennsylvania as a bold and vigilant defender of communities against pollution and environmentally harmful policies.

Conservation Voters of PA is the people-powered statewide political voice for the environment. We elect leaders who champion our environment, we promote racially and economically just environmental policy, we educate Pennsylvanians about key issues, and we hold our elected officials accountable.