More Than 100 PA Businesses, Environmental Groups, Civic Leaders Write PUC Urging Action On Reforms To Speed Local Connections To Grid To Increase Energy Supplies, Resiliency, Affordability

On November 10, Pennsylvania business, environmental, and civic leaders sent a letter to the Public Utility Commission, urging immediate action to make the state’s energy grid cleaner, more resilient, and affordable by undertaking long overdue interconnection reforms.

Signers of the letter include Vote Solar, the PA Solar Center, Mid-Atlantic Solar and Storage Industries Association, Reclaim Philadelphia, POWER Interfaith and other companies that work in the energy industry or serve communities burdened by fossil fuels and skyrocketing energy prices. 

They share the belief that the key to securing a resilient and affordable energy system in a time of economic unpredictability lies in adding more reliable and cheap local distributed energy resources (DERs)-- solar, wind, and battery storage, as well as energy efficiency. 

Renewables are the fastest and cheapest deployable energy sources available, from large utility-scale wind and solar systems to rooftop solar on homes, businesses, farms, and houses of worship. 

Renewables and storage reduce the amount of expensive fossil fuel power that is needed, especially during peak demand hours, which can hold down the energy costs for everyone.

However, this vision is being hindered by inconsistent and convoluted interconnection procedures by which projects get approval from their utility to connect to the grid, the letter said.

According to the letter, “In the absence of meaningful interconnection reforms, significant damage has already been done. With federal Investment Tax Credits expiring soon, viable solar projects across Pennsylvania face cancellation. As regional interconnection delays persist, our state's ability to facilitate distributed energy resources becomes increasingly critical.” 

In addition, Pennsylvania utilities are “slow-walking local interconnection requests. Local solar projects face opaque approval processes without clear timelines or consistent standards. These delays result from inadequate utility-managed interconnection procedures that the PUC has the authority to fix.”

“Across Pennsylvania, opaque and confusing utility interconnection procedures are a major reason why we don't have more local clean energy projects coming online,” said Kartik Amarnath, Mid-Atlantic Regulatory Director of Vote Solar. “As projects languish in interconnection queues, Pennsylvania risks undermining its clean energy future without swift implementation of clear and consistent interconnection guidelines that can speed local solar projects and keep clean energy accessible and affordable for all Pennsylvanians.”

“Pennsylvania’s solar industry, which employs about 7,000 people, has already been hit hard this year by the looming expiration of the solar tax credit,” said Sharon Pillar, Founder and Executive Director of the PA Solar Center. “If the PUC were to fix these interconnection issues, they would be extending a lifeline to solar companies when they need it most -– while also helping to lower energy bills for all Pennsylvania energy consumers, regardless of whether they are solar consumers or not.”

Click Here for a copy of the letter.

Media questions should be directed to: Gretchen Dlugolecki, Rapport Communications,  gretchen@rapportcommunications.org or Estrella Lozano, Vote Solar, elozano@votesolar.org. 

(Photo: D&H Distributing solar energy facility, Dauphin County.)

Resource Links:

-- US EIA: Natural Gas Prices To Increase 16% In 2026, Driven By LNG Gas Exports

-- US EIA: Electricity Prices To Continue Rise In 2026 Driven By A.I. Data Center Demand

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-- State Budget Agreement Mixed Bag For Environment: RGGI Gone; $156 Million Solar For All Money OK’d; PUC Review Of Load Forecasts; $15 Million For Oil & Gas Regulation; More Cuts To Special Funds Coming  [PaEN] 

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-- More Than 100 PA Businesses, Environmental Groups, Civic Leaders Write PUC Urging Action On Reforms To Speed Local Connections To Grid To Increase Energy Supplies, Resiliency, Affordability  [PaEN]

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[Posted: November 13, 2025]  PA Environment Digest