PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP Seeks Proposals For Electric Generation, Battery Storage To Quickly Enter Service To Feed Rising Energy Demands From A.I. Data Centers, Improve Grid Reliability, Address High Energy Costs

On April 3, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it published a Request for Information on March 28 for new energy generation and storage projects in Pennsylvania that will be eligible to quickly enter service, rapidly adding more power to the electric grid and preventing higher energy costs for Pennsylvanians. [Read more here.]

Examples of energy generation and storage projects that may be eligible include a wide spectrum of all-of-the-above opportunities for new generation, including, but not limited to, solar power plants; wind generation plants; advanced thermal generating units; hybrid facilities; and battery energy storage systems.

“Today, our region faces significant energy challenges. Our goal is to ensure an affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy supply for all Commonwealth residents,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “As a national and regional leader in the energy sector, Pennsylvania is the first state to undertake this proactive information gathering that will inform our work to lower energy costs for consumers and reduce reliability risks to our power grid.”

In compliance with the Statement of Principles that Governor Josh Shapiro co-signed with twelve PJM governors and the Secretaries of Energy and the Interior in January, PJM, which operates the electric grid for Pennsylvania and 12 neighboring states, aims to open an Expedited Interconnection Track (EIT) process by August 2026.

This EIT aims to enable up to ten eligible large projects per year, sponsored by the state in which they are located, to secure Generator Interconnection Agreements within ten months of application – significantly faster than PJM’s typical process for connecting projects to the grid.

In a Request for Information (RFI) published in the PA Bulletin on Saturday, March 28, 2016, DEP announced a new search for projects that could qualify for PJM’s fast-track process in Pennsylvania.

Over the next decade, new and significant sources of electricity load, driven by advances in sophisticated data centers, electrification, and advanced manufacturing, are expected to create significant additional demand for electricity in the PJM region and across the United States.

Without additional energy supply, consumers in Pennsylvania will face higher energy costs and increased reliability risks to our power grid.

The Commonwealth stands ready to sponsor eligible Pennsylvania-based projects in the EIT to continue Pennsylvania’s legacy of energy leadership.

DEP is also seeking information from large-scale energy generation or storage projects that have determined they do not meet PJM’s proposed requirements to better understand why and what opportunities might be available for future projects, as well as feedback on the potential use of loans or loan guarantees to support energy project deployment and infrastructure investments in Pennsylvania through the United States Department of Energy’s Energy Dominance Financing Program.

DEP encourages potential developers to submit a written response to ra-epenergy@pa.gov by Friday, June 5, 2026.

Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Developers may also ask pre-submittal questions at the same email address. Please include “DEP RFI Energy Projects” in the email subject line.

Governor Shapiro has led the fight to stop rising electricity costs from being passed on to consumers and get more power onto the grid faster for years.

Throughout 2024, the Governor repeatedly urged PJM to modernize its rules, cut red tape, speed up its stalled interconnection queue, reform its capacity market, and improve reliability during extreme weather.

When PJM continued to delay new generation while driving up prices, Governor Shapiro sued PJM, warning that its flawed auction design would saddle consumers with billions in unnecessary costs.

That lawsuit led to a landmark settlement in January 2025 – later approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – that significantly lowered PJM’s capacity price cap.

Earlier this year, PJM Interconnection announced that it will extend its existing price cap for another two years – until 2030 – a major win for consumers following the Governor’s legal action and efforts to stop billions in unnecessary electricity rate hikes.

Governor Shapiro also remains committed to building new, clean, reliable, and affordable energy projects in the Commonwealth.

Through his Lightning Plan and PA Permit Fast Track Program, the Governor is cutting permitting delays, getting new energy projects online quickly, and positioning Pennsylvania — the nation’s second largest energy producer and exporter — to build more power faster while keeping costs down.

Click Here for the DEP announcement.

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard- March 21 to April 3 [PaEN]

-- DEP Files Contempt Of Court Action, Fines Eureka Resources $100,000 For Multiple Violations At Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Facilities In Bradford, Lycoming Counties [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - April 4 [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Title V Air Quality Permit Modifications For Armstrong Natural Gas Power Plant In Armstrong County To Feed A.I. Data Centers [PaEN]

-- DEP Accepting Comments On Water Quality Permit For 3.6 Mile EQT ARO LLC 16-Inch Shale Gas Water Pipeline In Lycoming County [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Erosion & Sedimentation Permit For Hyperion Midstream [EQT] Pipeline Between The Selene And Hephaestus Shale Gas Well Pads In Upper Burrell Twp., Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- DEP Accepting Comments On Water Quality Permit For Installation Of A CNX Midstream Operating Water Withdrawal Intake In Beaver Run Reservoir To Support Shale Gas Development In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Sets April 23 Hearing On Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant Water Withdrawal Of Up To 73.2 Million Gallons/Day, Other Withdrawals [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 59 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In April 4 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Water Quality Permit For Carbon Node East Development Transmission Line, Utility Crossing In Nesquehoning Boro, Carbon County To Support A.I. Data Center Development [PaEN]