Pennsylvania is one of America’s great energy-producing states. But for business, the real test is whether we can deliver that energy reliably, affordably, and where it is needed. That challenge is why Pennsylvanians for Reliable & Affordable Energy (PRAE) exists. We are a statewide coalition of business, labor, and community leaders working to modernize Pennsylvania’s electric transmission system, expand generation capacity, and strengthen natural gas infrastructure. PRAE is led by Executive Director Terry Fitzpatrick, former chair of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. “Our energy infrastructure will either help Pennsylvania companies grow and compete, or it will be the obstacle they cite when they leave,” said Fitzpatrick. “PRAE is working to make sure it is the former.” Pennsylvania is the nation’s second-largest producer of natural gas and third-largest producer of electricity. But producing energy is one thing. Getting it reliably and affordably to the factory floor, hospital, and modern office is another. A System Built for a Different Time Pennsylvania is running a 21st-century economy on infrastructure that was built for the last century. Much of the Commonwealth’s core electric infrastructure is more than 50 years old, designed for a lifestyle and economy that looked nothing like today’s. Residential electricity consumption has climbed more than 63 percent in four decades. Businesses now run on automation, computerized production and inventory systems, and around-the-clock communications. Among manufacturers, 44 percent say the volume of digital data they handle has doubled in just two years. Each of those systems needs power that doesn’t blink. When it does, the cost can far exceed the outage itself. A few minutes without power can halt production for hours or days. Equipment must be restarted, materials are lost, and schedules fall apart. Small businesses feel it in a lost day of sales. Hospitals and commercial facilities cannot afford the disruption. Natural gas faces its own delivery challenge. Pennsylvania’s abundant supply is an exceptional advantage, but pipeline capacity must keep pace with the manufacturers, power generators, and other employers that depend on it. A resource we cannot move is a resource we cannot use. Pennsylvania has produced nearly four times as much natural gas as it consumed. Yet statewide abundance does not guarantee adequate capacity, pressure, or reliable service where businesses need it. Pennsylvania must address both aging infrastructure and capacity gaps. Replacing aging pipelines improves reliability, while targeted expansions can relieve bottlenecks, support industrial growth, and reduce curtailments. Storage access, winterization, and appropriate service contracts are also important to keeping gas flowing when demand is greatest. The Business Case Energy reliability has become an economic development issue, not simply a utility issue. “Site selectors say energy is a make-or-break issue. Seventy-six percent of businesses say energy is a top criterion when choosing a location. Pennsylvania should win on energy. Today, aging wires and pipes put that advantage at risk, and a company that cannot get the energy it needs will take its investment somewhere that it can,” says Fitzpatrick. Modern infrastructure pays off. It helps existing employers compete and expand, and it creates the capacity to attract new ones. Building it also puts people to work: skilled tradespeople, construction crews, engineers, and suppliers all have a stake in new generation, transmission lines, substations, and gas infrastructure. “Actions we take in energy upgrades multiply,” says Fitzpatrick. Delay Costs Us Pennsylvania cannot afford to wait until energy shortages and reliability problems cost us the next major investment. “We bring business, labor, and community voices to the table, and we push for projects to move forward responsibly and without unnecessary delay. And be sure, responsible does not mean slow. Deferring necessary investment raises costs, prolongs reliability problems, and closes off economic opportunity. Those costs – and energy insecurity – land on employers, workers, families, and the next generation,” says Fitzpatrick. Pennsylvania powered the industrial age. We still have the resources, the workforce, and the experience to lead, but only if we get to work. For the business community, the choice is clear. We welcome Chamber members who want to help. Check us out at PowerPANow.org. Power for Pennsylvania. Built here. Delivered here. Jobs here. This sponsored article is a benefit of Pennsylvanians for Reliable and Affordable Energy’s sponsorship of the 2026 PA Chamber Energy and Environmental Conference.