PA Environment Digest Blog: 25 Environmental Groups; Local Government Associations Oppose House Bill To Fast Track Large-Scale Energy Generation, Storage Projects Proposed By Gov. Shapiro

On June 9, 25 environmental groups wrote to state House representatives condemning House Bill 502 (Steele-D-Allegheny), one of six bills rolled out in the House as part of Governor Shapiro’s Lightning Energy Plan.

The bill seeks to fast-track energy generation projects of 25 MW and larger and energy storage facilities of 10 MW or larger overriding local government control and public input.

The House Energy Committee is holding hearings on the bill June 9 and 11.

[At the June 9 House Energy Committee hearing, the PA State Association of Township Supervisors and the PA State Association of Boroughs said they have significant concerns with the bill taking away their ability to regulate energy generation facilities. Click Here for video.

[The Pennsylvania Environmental Council provided written comments to the Committee suggesting a more robust hearing and public involvement process, changing the membership of the board to include only public officials and giving the board authority to develop guidance for community benefit agreements and other changes. Read more here.]

25 Groups Write House Members

The letter, organized by Food & Water Watch, reads in part: “Governor Shapiro campaigned on environmental protection, public health, and responsive governance. Instead, House Bill 502—tied directly to his ‘Lightning Plan’—serves fossil fuel interests while removing the very tools communities use to protect themselves.

“At a time when local governments are developing bold climate solutions, this bill cuts them off at the knees…

“We call on every member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to reject this legislation and stand with the people of this Commonwealth—not with corporate polluters.”

If passed, House Bill 502 would endanger over 530,000 Pennsylvania residents in at least 35 communities that environmental groups have helped protect through protective fossil fuel ordinances, the organizations said.

Groups sounded alarm that the impacts could be magnified when coupled with passage of additional Lightning Plan associated bills moving through the legislature including Senate Bill 102 (Yaw-R-Lycoming), which seeks to strip impacted communities of much-needed Act 13 shale gas drilling impact fees.

Food & Water Watch Pennsylvania State Director Megan McDonough, the organizer of the letter said: "While Pennsylvanians demand real protections from dangerous fossil fuel projects, Harrisburg is taking us backwards. HB502 and SB102 are toxic power grabs designed not to protect people, but to punish communities that dare to defend themselves. These bills trample local control, silence municipal voices, and greenlight industry at the expense of public health.”

McDonough continued: “Governor Shapiro’s 'Lightning Plan' isn’t the bold climate leadership he claims — it’s bureaucratic overreach disguised as progress. This isn’t just legislative failure; it’s a betrayal. The legislature must reject HB502 out of hand."

HB502 seeks to quickly bring energy generating facilities online by bypassing municipal zoning and ordinance powers and establishing a state appointed RESET Board.

Projects that receive the Board’s approval would proceed on an expedited timeline without municipal input, in-district public comment opportunities and independent environmental review.

Similar efforts in the past including the SPEED program have resulted in majority fossil fuel project approvals.

Scott Taylor, President of Protect Elizabeth Township: “We spent over a decade fighting — and defeating — not one, but two fracked gas power plant proposals using the land use and zoning tools that HB502 would strip away. This bill doesn’t just threaten our community’s health and safety; it threatens to erase years of grassroots organizing and hand our future over to polluters. It’s a direct attack on local democracy and everything we’ve fought for.”

“Sadly, members of the Pennsylvania legislature seem intent on stripping away local government’s land-use control – an issue that was litigated and decided years ago,” said Lisa Graves Marcucci, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Environmental Integrity Project, referring to the landmark Robinson Township v. Commonwealth case. “Why are members of the legislature and the Governor focused on taking away local rights that have already been upheld by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court instead of protecting the health and wellbeing of our communities from fossil fuel projects?”

Click Here for this announcement. Click Here for letter.

House Hearing Video/Written Testimony On HB 502

Click Here for the June 9 House Committee hearing.

Click Here for the June 11 House Committee hearing.

Click Here for all written testimony.

Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D-Philadelphia) serves as Majority Chair of the House Energy Committee and can be contacted by calling 215-271-9190 or click here to contact. Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-5075 or by sending email to: mcauser@pahousegop.com.

(Photo: 1,000 MW Hickory Run Natural Gas Power Plant in Lawrence County.)

Resource Links:

-- Gov. Shapiro Provides Update On The Fight To Lower Energy Prices, Calls On General Assembly To Move His Commonsense Lightning Energy Plan [PaEN]

-- Rise Of The Machines: Senate, House Members Express Concern That Demand For Power To Run Computers Is Impacting The Price And Availability Of Electricity For ‘Ordinary People’ [5.12.25]

-- PUC Hearing On Data Center Growth Impacts Finds 30-40% Of Utility Demand Could Be From Data Centers; Concerns About Stranded Costs; Major Commitments To Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Energy Use [PaEN]

-- PUC House Budget Hearing: We Aren’t Going To Build Our Way Out Of Electric Generation Shortfalls On PJM Grid; We Need To Diversify Our Generation Sources [PaEN]

-- PUC Invites Stakeholder Comments On The Issue Of The Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania [Background On Issue] [PaEN]

-- 30 Stakeholder Comments Received By PUC On Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania; Increasing Natural Gas Power Plant Reliability To 90-95% Would Mean No Imminent Capacity Problem [PaEN]

-- PA Senate Republicans Vote To Punish Communities Taking Steps To Protect Their Residents From Health, Environmental Impacts Of Shale Gas Drilling [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - June 14 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 96 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In June 14 PA Bulletin [PaEN]