Rep. Craig Williams announced on Apr. 14 the introduction of the Pennsylvania Ratepayer Protection Act, aimed at addressing rising electricity costs and preparing for increased energy demand in the state.
The legislation comes as Pennsylvania faces higher electricity prices due to growing demand and large technology companies securing long-term access to existing power supplies. This situation has led to concerns that families and small businesses are being affected by increased costs when supply is constrained.
“Pennsylvania produces enormous amounts of electricity, but our residents are competing with hyper-scale data companies for that power,” Williams said. “House Bill 2372 protects ratepayers by requiring those companies to bear the full cost of the infrastructure and generation they require. That will provide immediate relief to Pennsylvania ratepayers.”
Under House Bill 2372, hyperscale data centers would be required to pay all costs associated with connecting to the electric grid and provide their own baseload electricity generation built within Pennsylvania. The bill also expands utilities’ ability to use long-term power purchase agreements with local generators, subject to approval by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission based on public interest and least-cost standards. These agreements would allow ratepayers to secure electricity supply in advance, helping stabilize prices and reduce exposure to market spikes.
“Pennsylvania sits on the doorstep of producing the electricity our region needs, yet our residents are paying higher prices because we are not building enough supply,” Williams said. “If large data centers want that power, they should build it and pay for it. This bill puts ratepayers first and gets us back to doing what Pennsylvania does best, producing energy.”
House Bill 2372 has been referred to the House Energy Committee for consideration.
