Abundant, reliable, and competitively priced energy is a critically important component of a healthy business economy. Robust production, generation, transmission, retail, and delivery segments in the energy sector are essential for the Commonwealth’s economic development efforts and its ability to retain existing employers.
Pennsylvania has long been an energy exporter due to our historic strengths in traditional sources such as coal, oil, nuclear, and natural gas, and is positioned for future leadership in renewable, zerocarbon, and distributed energy resources. These resources are key products of our Commonwealth, and the production of competitively priced energy helps fuel our economy and generates employment in the Commonwealth. Energy costs can be a significant portion of any business ‘operation’s expenses, and in certain energy-intensive industries, energy costs account for more than 50 percent of total operating costs. Competitive markets have been demonstrated to have delivered significant reductions in both energy costs and emissions.
The Pennsylvania Chamber supports balanced policies that allow producers and suppliers from all energy sectors located in our Commonwealth to compete. More broadly, the state’s energy policies must enable business to secure a reliable supply of energy produced and delivered on a competitively priced basis. This can be best accomplished by the following:
• Promoting competitive energy-related regulatory requirements, tax policy and a fair and predictable permitting structure that are no more restrictive than federal law, unless there is a clear, broadly accepted, scientifically-based approach that considers conditions particular to Pennsylvania and provides a cost-effective benefit to the state.
• Encouraging greater use of domestic natural resources while using appropriate, reasonable, cost-effective, and currently achievable environmental controls based on sound and verifiable science for energy development, power generation, and delivery to market.
• Supporting policy that encourages and rewards voluntary environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies, including cost-effective energy efficiency.
• Supporting policy that provides for the increased delivery of Pennsylvania energy and natural resources to markets within the Commonwealth, neighboring states, and internationally.
• Avoiding price controls on any energy sources.
• Allowing the marketplace to select the most appropriate energy sources and avoiding governmental actions that select, force, or subsidize particular energy sources.
• Reducing regulatory and other governmental hurdles to the utilization of all energy sources and to the implementation of energy infrastructure while ensuring appropriate environmental protection.
Revised by the Policy Committee. Approved by the Board of Directors on November 18, 2022