July 31 Webinar - Why Is My Electricity Bill So High? PJM Decisions Have Driven Up The Cost Of Electricity

The Conservation Voters of PA and PennFuture will host a July 31 webinar on Why Is My Electricity Bill So High? Starting at 6:00 p.m.

We saw our electricity bills increase by more than 10% last month. Electricity costs are surging across Pennsylvania and they’re expected to go even higher in 2026. 

PJM, our region’s grid operator, is failing to effectively manage its supply and has driven up prices for working families struggling to keep the lights on. 

Back in March, we asked experts to explain how PJM has set up a system which allows generators to submit bids to supply energy in exchange for guaranteed payments down the line. 

This year, those payments increased nearly ten times their previous cost, translating to higher electricity bills for PA families. 

That increase didn’t happen overnight — it’s the result of systematic failures to keep up with improving technologies. 

And now, PJM held its 2026 supply auction and its results will lead to your bills going up even more.  Read more here.

Join us as we talk about the results of that auction and what it means for you.

Click Here to register and for more information.

Related Articles This Week:

-- PJM Electricity Capacity Auction Bids For 134,311 MW Come It At Highest Price Allowed Under FERC-Approved Cap  [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] 

-- PJM Interconnection Extends Hot Weather Alert To July 24 And To Entire Service Area  [PaEN] 

-- July 31 Webinar - Why Is My Electricity Bill So High?  PJM Decisions Have Driven Up The Cost Of Electricity  [PaEN] 

-- PUC: Pennsylvania Doubles Solar Power Generation In Just 17 Months To 2 Gigawatts  [PaEN] 

-- Registration Open! Penn State University To Host 5th Annual Online Solar Law Symposium Aug. 21  [PaEN]  

-- Whitehall Borough Launches New Rooftop Solar System Installed With Help From PA Solar Center, Elysium Solar Energy In Allegheny County  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- Post-Gazette: PJM Says Settlement Of Complaint Filed By Shapiro Tamped Down Electricity Auction Prices [$380.57 vs. cap of $329.17]

-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: PJM Grid Operator Auction Will Result In Higher Electricity Bills For PA, NJ, DE Customers

-- PA Capital-Star/Inside Climate News: PJM Capacity Price Hits Cap As Clean Energy Projects Remain Stalled

-- Gov. Shapiro: Legal Action Against PJM Saved PA Consumers An Estimated $1.6 Billion

-- Utility Dive: PJM Capacity Prices Set Another Record With 22% Jump; Without Market Cap They Would Be 18% Higher

-- Bloomberg: A.I. Data Center Boom Leads To Record Costs On US Grid; Businesses, Households In PJM Grid Will Spend A Record $16.1 Billion To Ensure Electricity Supplies

-- Reuters: Biggest US Power Grid [PJM] Auction Raises Prices By 22% To New Heights 

-- Inside Climate News: Are You A Customer Of PJM?  Its Capacity Auction Will Affect Your Electricity Prices In 2026

-- Bloomberg: Biggest US Power Sale [PJM] To Offer Glimpse Of A.I.’s Cost To Consumers [Results To Be Announced July 22 at 4:00 p.m.]   [PDF of Article]

-- Reuters: Rush For Natural Gas Power Plants Drives Up Costs, Increases Delivery Times For Turbines, Other Components 3 to 5 Years 

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: Openings For CEO And On PJM’s Board Are An Opportunity To Chart A New Course - By David Lapp, Maryland Office Of People’s Counsel advocating for residential utility consumers 

-- Citizens Voice: Debate Over Rumored A.I. Data Center Draws Large Crowd In Dorrance Twp., Luzerne County

-- PennLive: Owners Of Idled Steelton Steel Mill Raise The Potential Of The Site Becoming A.I. Data Center In Dauphin County

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Nuclear Regulatory Commission Holds July 31 Meeting At Penn State Harrisburg Campus On Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant;  Webinar On Aug. 6 

-- LancasterOnline: Work Already Underway On 450,000 Sq. Foot A.I. Data Center Inside A Vacant Printing Plant; Officials Say It Won’t Affect Water, Electrical Grid

-- PennLive: Controversial A.I. Data Centers Set For Big Expansion In PA, Some Ask, At What Cost?

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Many Projects Credited To A.I. & Energy Summit Were Already Underway

-- PA Capital-Star: Energy And Tech Companies Said They’re Investing $90 Billion In PA, Fossil Fuel Projects Make Up Largest Category 

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Environmentalists Don’t Want To Talk About Energy, A.I. Policy - By Jeff Nobers, Pittsburgh Works  [They weren’t invited to invitation only McCormick Summit] 

-- Pittsburgh Works: Environmentalists Against Respectful Civic Discussion Of Energy, A.I. Policy  [They weren’t invited to invitation only McCormick Energy A.I. Summit]

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Local Action Can Protect Allegheny County From Rising Energy Costs Caused By President’s  Budget Bill - By Gregory Bernarding, Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades, & Jeanneen Zappa, Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance  

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Solar For All Program At Risk In PA If State Lawmakers Don’t Act Soon 

-- MCall: How Federal Megabill Will Impact Green Energy Investments In Lehigh Valley 

-- Penn State Extension: Geothermal Energy And Agriculture In Pennsylvania 

-- Financial Times: ‘Net Zero’ Emissions Standard Paused As Shell Quits

-- Reading Eagle: Frequent Met-Ed Power Outages In Southeastern Berks Called Into Question

-- Utility Dive: A.I.- Powered Attacks On Computer Systems Rise, Now Outrank Other Risks For Information Security Officers 

[Posted: July 22, 2025]  PA Environment Digest