PA House Energy Committee Sets May 4 Meeting To Act On More Bills To Address Electric Grid Reliability, Affordability Issues: Authorize Virtual Power Plants, Update Net Metering, More

The House Energy Committee is scheduled to meet May 4 on more legislation to address Pennsylvania’s electric grid reliability and energy affordability issues.

The bills in the agenda include--

-- Virtual Power Plants: House Bill 2264 (Davidson-D-Cumberland) establishes requirements for regulating virtual power plants [draft amendment];

-- Net Metering: House Bill 2348 (Fiedler-D-Philadelphia) makes numerous changes to PUC net metering requirements [draft amendment];

-- Electric Distribution Hosting Capacity: House Bill 2429 (Cerrato-D-Montgomery) requires utilities to publish accessible maps showing distribution system hosting capacity and

-- Nuclear Power Plants: House Bill 2450 (Mehaffie-R- Dauphin) increases and makes other changes to the fees for nuclear power plants to fund safety and emergency preparedness programs. 

Proposed action on these bills follows several hearings held by the Committee on these issues -- see Resource Links below.

Join the Meeting

The meeting will be held in Room B-31 Main Capitol starting at 10:30 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

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.

Resource Links:

-- PA House Committee Hears How Virtual Power Plants, Advanced Transmission Line Technologies Allow Us To Quickly Get More Out Of Our Energy Infrastructure In Less Time, Without Huge Investments Or Delays  [PaEN] 

-- PA Capital-Star: Electricity Grid Maps Could Speed Addition Of Renewable Energy To PA, PA House Panel Hears  [PaEN] 

-- House Energy Committee Hears How Geothermal Energy Could Meet 100% Of PA’s Electricity, Heating Needs Offering True Energy Independence And Freedom From Foreign Energy Markets Costing Pennsylvanians Billions  [PaEN] 

-- House Energy Committee Reports Out GeoThermal Energy, Advanced Transmission Technology, Energy Financing Authority Bills  [PaEN] 

-- PA House Passes Bills To Develop Model Zoning Ordinance To Help Local Governments Regulate, Mitigate The Impacts Of A.I. Data Center Developments; Report Water, Energy Use  [PaEN] 

-- PA House Passes Bill To Authorize Public Utility Commission To Regulate A.I. Data Centers To Make Them Pay Their Own Way  [PaEN] 

-- PA House Blue-Green Labor, Environmental Caucus Endorses 9-Bill Package To Expand Clean Energy Generation, Strengthen Workforce  [PaEN] 

Related Articles This Week:

-- Senate Committee Hears Electric Grid Issues Getting Worse; PJM Has Attracted 220 GW Of New Generation Proposals; PJM ‘Backstop’ Procurement Critical To Making Data Centers Pay For New Generation [PaEN] 

-- House Energy Committee Sets May 4 Meeting To Act On More Bills To Address Electric Grid Reliability, Affordability Issues: Authorize Virtual Power Plants, Update Net Metering, More  [PaEN]

-- Concerned Citizens Of Montour County: Data Center Developer Wants To Make It Harder For Citizens To Appeal Zoning, Permits; DCED Secretary Explains More On How They Want New GRID Principles To Work  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro Appoints Mark Szybist New Special Counsel For Energy Affordability  [PaEN] 

-- Tri-County Regional Planning Commission Publishes Model A.I. Data Center Ordinance; Links To Other Model Ordinances  [PaEN] 

-- DCNR: Grid-Scale Solar Energy Installations Are Not Permitted On Any DCNR Lands Or On Lands That Have Received DCNR Grant Funds  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Scranton Times: Dedicated Eynon Jermyn Road A.I. Data Center Power Plant Proposal Scrutinized In Archbald

-- WNEP: Archbald’s Energy Debate Heats Up At Conditional Hearing For Proposed, Dedicated A.I. Data Center Power Plant

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: As A.I. Data Center Site Work Starts In Cumberland County, Neighbors Struggle With ‘The Monster Next Door:’ Blasting, Twp. Roads Failing, Failure To Communicate

-- ABC27: A.I. Data Centers Dominate Statewide Township Leaders Convention 

-- Tri-County Regional Planning Commission Publishes Model A.I. Data Center Ordinance; Links To Other Model Ordinances  [PaEN] 

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader Guest Essay: Public Backlash Against A.I. Data Centers Creating A Buildability Crisis - By Peter Clark, InsideSources.com 

-- City & State PA Guest Essay: Choosing Electric, Natural Gas Suppliers Works For Pennsylvanians, Don’t Let New House Bill Take It Away [House Bill 2131 (Boyd-D-Delaware)] - By John Hanger, Former PUC Commissioner 

-- Utility Dive: Independent PJM Market Monitor Opposes 1.3 GW Natural Gas Power Plants Deal Taking Generation Out Of Capacity Auction Locking It Up To Serve A.I. Data Centers 

-- Utility Dive: PA Cong. Brian Fitzpatrick, Other Republican Members Of Congress Introduced Bill To Restore Renewable Energy Production, Investment Tax Credits For Much-Needed Generation Capacity 

-- Reuters: US Consumers Face Rising Electricity Prices Pushed By A.I. Data Center Demand, Rising Natural Gas Prices, Tariffs On Steel/Aluminum, While Benefits From Low-Cost Clean Power Capacity Emerge 

-- Financial Times: BP Warns Against Windfall Taxes As Iran War Helps Profits Hit 3-Year High

[Posted: April 29, 2026] PA Environment Digest