“PJM has been too slow to let new generation through its queue to join the grid at a time when demand for energy is going up,” said Gov. Shapiro. “PJM has a D-minus rating for the speed of its interconnection queue. Those delays threaten the very energy projects PJM says we need.
“This slow, reactive approach is no longer working for our states and the communities we serve.
“And it’s all happening at a time when the Trump Administration is cutting funding for new energy projects that are almost complete, at a time when we need more generation.
“The result has been dramatically increased prices in PJM’s capacity auctions,” said the Governor.”
“Yet despite these significant challenges, there is no forum for elected officials to have a say in PJM’s decisions.
“In other parts of the country, states have far more representation in the governance of their shared grid.
“For the largest grid in the nation to have the fewest avenues for customers and their elected representatives to be heard is unacceptable.
“Our states and our citizens deserve better, especially from an institution that was founded right here in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy.”
Pull PA Out Of PJM
In January, Gov. Shapiro threatened to pull Pennsylvania out of PJM over the grid operator’s failure to protect state consumers against soaring power prices. Read more here.
He said at the time-- “A failure to hear the voices of Pennsylvania consumers speaking against this market failure will cause me to question whether Pennsylvania should remain within a construct that inflicts such unjust outcomes on our customers.”
Role In Filling PJM Board Vacancies
In July, Gov. Shapiro joined a bipartisan group of eight other governors representing a majority of the electric customers in the PJM service footprint in saying they should have a role in filling two PJM board vacancies. Read more here.
The Governors said-- “[We] believe these two Board seats must remain dedicated to candidates who are proposed by the states collectively and then vetted by the Nominating Committee, rather than leaving important decisions regarding every member of the Board to closed-door deliberations.
“At a time when PJM faces difficult decisions that could substantially raise consumer bills, we strongly believe ongoing Board-level representation of these perspectives is essential to preserving PJM’s legitimacy.”
It’s Not Working Anymore
At the Summit, Gov. Shapiro said, “We’ve asked all of you to come to the table today because all of us have a different piece of this puzzle – but right now, I think we’re all looking at the same picture.
“We can’t keep doing what we’ve been doing in this rapidly changing world and expect it to work.
“It’s not working anymore.
“And it’s time to get serious about the need for significant reform.
“I won’t stand for a status quo that perpetuates slowdowns and rising costs.
“In Pennsylvania, we’re moving at the speed of business.
“And PJM can’t move fast enough, if we need to chart a new course that delivers more for the good people of Pennsylvania – we will.
“Pennsylvania is the second largest energy producer in the country – and by far the largest generator of energy in the entire PJM network.
“If we’re forced to go in a different direction, that will have a significant impact here in this region and across the country.
“To be clear – that’s not a path I’m eager to chart.”
What Comes Next?
“PJM was a Pennsylvania success story. I want it to be one again.
“But for that to happen, we’ve got to really grapple with some serious questions about how this market should work, and how it can be governed more effectively.
“How it can bring new generation to the grid in a way that’s affordable for families and consumers, and be responsive to those families and their elected representatives.
“As we confront rising energy demand, is PJM’s capacity market, which we have entrusted with balancing energy supply and demand and maintaining resource adequacy, capable of bringing new energy resources onto the grid at prices that are affordable to consumers?
“And if it isn’t, what’s next?
“That’s what we need to explore here today.
“Now hear me on this: exploring what comes next for PJM and the 13 states who have come here today doesn’t mean going backward to the same approaches we’ve used before.
“It means looking forward and really grappling with how we can work together to meet our region’s energy needs while keeping costs down.
“I challenge each of you not to retreat to your separate corners and familiar arguments, but to approach today’s conversations with the clarity that there are significant challenges to solve – and with the ambition to think big and put all ideas on the table.
“It was here in Philadelphia that PJM was founded 98 years ago.
“This is where it all started.
“And this is where we can start writing the next chapter – together.”
Click Here for the full text of the Governor’s remarks.
Click Here to watch a video of the Governor’s remarks.
(Charts from a July 25 presentation by Partrick Cicero, former PA Consumer Advocates and now counsel to the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project on the electricity cost increases and its impact on lower income households. Read more here.)
NewsClips This Week- PJM:
-- Gov. Shapiro: PJM Electric Grid Operator Is 'Not Working Anymore,' 'I Won't Stand For A Status Quo That Perpetuates Slowdowns And Rising Costs’ [PaEN]
-- Shapiro Administration: PJM Regional Electric Grid Operator Passed Over Qualified Candidates Suggested By A Bipartisan Coalition Of Governors To Fill Vacant Board Seats [PaEN]
-- Utility Dive: PJM Grid Operator Says States Must Address Electricity Generation Deficit Issues; Siting, Permit Reform Needed To Overcome ‘Hostile’ Opposition
-- Post-Gazette: Gov. Shapiro Pummels PJM Regional Grid Operator In Call For Reforms
-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: Pennsylvania Leaving PJM Regional Electricity Grid Is Still On The Table, Shapiro Says
-- Bloomberg: Pennsylvania Threatens To Go ‘Own Way’ If PJM Regional Electric Grid Operator Won’t Change
-- Inside Climate News: PA Governor Threatens To Pull Largest Power Producer Out Of PJM Regional Power Grid Citing Need For ‘Significant Reform’
-- The Center Square: Shapiro: States In PJM Need More Power In PJM Regional Grid Management
-- PA Capital-Star: PA Gov. Shapiro Said Electric Grid Operator PJM Needs Reform To Put Consumers First
-- Republican Sen. Yaw Issues Statement On Shapiro’s Changing PJM Summit [Yaw Has A Strong Record Of Holding Hearings On This Issue]
-- Republican Sen. Martin Calls For Accountability From Gov. Shapiro On Energy Policy [Criticizes Shapiro For RGGI Program That Never Went Into Effect]
Resource Links - A.I. Data Centers:
-- Gov. Shapiro: PJM Electric Grid Operator Is 'Not Working Anymore,' 'I Won't Stand For A Status Quo That Perpetuates Slowdowns And Rising Costs’ [PaEN]
-- Shapiro Administration: PJM Regional Electric Grid Operator Passed Over Qualified Candidates Suggested By A Bipartisan Coalition Of Governors To Fill Vacant Board Seats [PaEN]
-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles & NewClips From Last Week - September 29 [PaEN]
-- Team PA Releases PA Energy, Data Center, A.I. RoadMap, Includes ‘Aggressively Streamlining Permitting,' Establishing Regional Permitting Commissions [PaEN]
-- Inside Climate News: Shale Gas Was Supposed To Lower PA Electric Bills, Instead They’re Higher Than Ever And About To Get Worse [Due To LNG Gas Exports, A.I. Data Center Demand]
-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: PJM Grid Operator Eyes Reliability Amid A.I. Data Center Boom, But Advocates Say Cost Concerns Remain
-- Guest Essay: Rewriting The Energy Story — Together - By Stephen M. DeFrank, Chairman, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission [PaEN]
-- PUC: Brace For Higher Electric Bills As A Result Of Soaring Power Use; Consumers Should Review Energy Options [PaEN]
-- PJM Electricity Auction: PJM Lost 2.8 Gigawatts Of Power Due To Reduced Reliability Rating Of Natural Gas Power Plants; Could Gain 12.2 Gigawatts By Increasing Reliability From Less Than 75% Now To An Achievable 90% [PaEN]
-- PJM Electric Auction Impacts: 1 In 5 PA Households Report Problems Now Paying Energy Bills; Electric Utility Shutoffs Up 38.1% So Far This Year [PaEN]
-- What The A.I. Data Center & Energy Summit Missed: Exploding Electricity Demand Already Raising Prices - Ratepayers Need Protection; No Longer An ‘All Of The Above’ Energy Strategy [PaEN]
-- What The A.I. Data Center & Energy Summit Missed: It’s Deja Vu - False Promises, Dirty Power - Our People And Communities Deserve Respect [PaEN]
-- Senate Hearing: To Communities Facing Rapid A.I. Data Center Development: Review Your Zoning Ordinance NOW, Before It's Too Late To Have Meaningful Siting, Mitigation Conversations [PaEN]
-- Senate Hearing: DEP Primer: Recurring Challenges Of A.I. Data Centers: Frequent Site Plan Changes, Inconsistent Zoning, Outdated Sewage Facilities, Limited Community Outreach [PaEN]
-- Senate Hearing: Susquehanna River Basin Commission - A.I. Data Centers Have A Dramatic Demand For Water, And The Potential To Be Among The Largest Water Consumers In The Basin [PaEN]
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Sept. 20 to 26 - 128 Days Of Cleanup - Not Done Yet; 481 Abandoned Conventional Wells; Conventional Owner Builds 2 Illegal Well Pads [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - September 27 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 58 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In September 27 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- Part I - 500 Feet Isn’t Enough: Michelle Stonemark Tells What It’s Really Like Living Next To A Shale Gas Well Pad - Nosebleeds, Headaches, Nausea, Air Pollution, Vibrating House, Sleepless Nights, Anxiety - In Cecil Twp., Washington County [PaEN]
-- Part II - 500 Feet Isn’t Enough: 42 Scientific Studies, 20+ Years Of Experience With Shale Gas Drilling In PA; A State Grand Jury Report; Criminal Convictions; Public Complaints; Lawsuits; Media Reports All Document The Need To Increase Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells [PaEN]
-- DEP: Day 128 - Seneca Resources Failed To Stop Wastewater Seeps, Cleanup Contamination From A May Spill At The Vandergrift Shale Gas Well Pad In Charleston Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]
-- Observer-Reporter: Study Shows Probable Link Between Freeport Twp. Water Well Contamination And Fracking In Greene County [PDF of Article]
-- EPA Issues Sandstone Development Permit For Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well Permit In Cyclone, McKean County [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro: PJM Electric Grid Operator Is 'Not Working Anymore,' 'I Won't Stand For A Status Quo That Perpetuates Slowdowns And Rising Costs’ [PaEN]
-- Shapiro Administration: PJM Regional Electric Grid Operator Passed Over Qualified Candidates Suggested By A Bipartisan Coalition Of Governors To Fill Vacant Board Seats [PaEN]
-- PA House Energy Committee Sets Hearings On Regulating A.I. Data Centers, Warehouse Solar, Electric School Buses, Small Modular Nuclear Reactors [PaEN]
-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles & NewClips From Last Week - September 29 [PaEN]
-- Inside Climate News: Shale Gas Was Supposed To Lower PA Electric Bills, Instead They’re Higher Than Ever And About To Get Worse [Due To LNG Gas Exports, A.I. Data Center Demand]
-- Inside Climate News: Natural Gas Was Pitched As A Stopgap Between Other Fossil Fuels And Renewables, Instead It Has Derailed Pennsylvania’s Transition To Clean Energy
NewsClips:
-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: Gov. Shapiro Don’t Sell Pennsylvania Out To Polluters - Public Facing Health Challenges From Oil & Gas Industry, Methane, A.I. Data Centers - By Josephine Gingerich, Physicians For Social Responsibility PA
-- TribLive: Using Drones To Find Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In Allegheny County [Conventional Well Owners Abandon More Wells Every Week - 469 Violations So Far In 2025]
-- The Center Square: Physicians For Social Responsibility PA Speak Out Against Governor’s Proposed RESET Energy Siting Bill To Override Local Land Use Controls [House Bill 502]
-- The Derrick: PA Assn. Of Township Supervisors Briefs Clarion County Leaders On Its Opposition To HB 502 RESET Energy Facility Siting Legislation [PDF of Article]
-- The Derrick: PA Assn. Of Township Supervisors Updates Venango County Townships On Its Opposition To House Bill 502 Overriding Local Land Use Controls On Energy Facility Siting [PDF of Article]
-- Post-Gazette Editorial: How Will Brunot Island In The Ohio River Be Redeveloped After 50-Year-Old Gas Power Plant Shuts Down? Could Be A ‘Crown Jewel’ Of Pittsburgh
-- WHYY- Susan Phillips: Philadelphia Gas Works Spends Millions To Promote Natural Gas, Advocates Accuse The Utility Of ‘Greenwashing’
-- PennLive Guest Essay: Your Electric Bill Is Subsidizing Big Tech’s A.I. Data Center Dreams - By Rep. Mandy Steele (D-Allegheny), Bill McKibben, author of Here Comes The Sun, Joe Morinville, EIS Solar
-- PennLive Guest Essay: Politicians Should Keep Their Hands Off PJM Power Grid - By Todd Snitchler, Electric Power Generators. [High Prices Are ‘Essential Market Signals’]
-- SpotlightPA/Inside Climate News: The Natural Gas Boom In PA Was Supposed To Lower Energy Bills Here, Why Didn’t That Happen?
-- PA Capital-Star/Inside Climate News: Shale Gas Was Supposed To Lower Pennsylvanians’ Electric Bills, Instead, They’re About To Get Worse
-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: PJM Grid Operator Eyes Reliability Amid A.I. Data Center Boom, But Advocates Say Cost Concerns Remain
-- Post-Gazette: Gov. Shapiro Pummels PJM Regional Grid Operator In Call For Reforms
-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: Pennsylvania Leaving PJM Regional Electricity Grid Is Still On The Table, Shapiro Says
-- Bloomberg: Pennsylvania Threatens To Go ‘Own Way’ If PJM Regional Electric Grid Operator Won’t Change
-- The Center Square: Shapiro: States In PJM Need More Power In PJM Regional Grid Management
-- PA Capital-Star: PA Gov. Shapiro Said Electric Grid Operator PJM Needs Reform To Put Consumers First
-- Bloomberg: Spiraling Power Costs Are Now A Major Political Issue In The US [Gov. Shapiro]
-- Reuters Commentary: US LNG Gas Export Industry Build Out Poised To Create ‘Huge Global Supply Glut’
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: CNX’s Firebrand CEO Nick DeIuliss To Retire
-- CNX Resources Announces Alan Shepard As Next CEO
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: CNX Resources Shale Gas Driller CEO Nick Deluliis To Retire, Alan Shepard To Take Helm [PDF of Article]
-- Observer-Reporter: CNX Shale Gas Driller Proposes To Install Bat Boxes As Homes For Bats In Waynesburg, Greene County [PDF of Article]
-- Financial Times: US Shale Drilling Bosses Decry ‘Chaos’ In President’s Administration’s Energy Policy In Dallas Fed Energy Survey
-- Reuters: Oil/Gas Execs Dour In Dallas Fed Energy Survey: ‘Right Now We Are Bleeding’
[Posted: September 22, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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