Stacy Garrity: Shapiro’s Gas-Lightning Plan: Dimming Pennsylvania’s energy future

I’ve dedicated my career to safeguarding our commonwealth’s finances, supporting our workers, and ensuring a prosperous future for all Pennsylvanians. From my service as a combat veteran in the Army Reserves to managing billions in state investments, I’ve always prioritized fiscal responsibility and economic growth. But recent projections from PJM Interconnection, the grid operator serving 65 million people across thirteen states including Pennsylvania, reveal a looming energy crisis that threatens our economy – and Governor Josh Shapiro is too busy pointing fingers to address it head-on. 

PJM’s analysis paints a stark warning. By 2030, we could face massive supply deficits without immediate action. For the 2026-2027 delivery year, PJM envisions a razor-thin surplus of just 0.2 GW — barely meeting basic reliability requirements and in stark contrast with the 19.1 percent reserve margin it believes necessary to keep the lights on. 

PJM’s clear directive – we must retain existing plants, accelerate new generation beyond the current queue, and prevent further retirements. Otherwise, we’ll grapple with unmet demand and unreliable, non-capacity-backed services that could cost taxpayers dearly. 

These deactivations aren’t inevitable. They stem from burdensome federal and state policies. PJM highlights job killing and plant closing Biden-era EPA regulations, plus state irresponsible mandates in states like Maryland, Virginia and Illinois. In Pennsylvania, we’re teetering on the edge of similar pitfalls, courtesy of Governor Shapiro’s misguided agenda. 

Rather than tackling this crisis, Shapiro opts instead for deflection, repeatedly blaming PJM for soaring energy prices and grid bottlenecks. He’s even threatened to withdraw Pennsylvania from the regional grid, arguing PJM is sluggish in approving wind and solar projects and inflating consumer costs. Recently, he rallied his allies to demand reforms within “months, not years,” or face repercussions. This is pure misdirection. 

The true villain? Shapiro’s policies, mirroring the flawed strategies of his Democratic peers that tax reliable energy into oblivion while propping up intermittent, weather-dependent electricity that falters under pressure. 

Consider his so-called “Lightning Plan,” touted as a “bold, all-of-the-above” blueprint to generate jobs, cut costs, and ramp up production. In truth, it’s a disguised carbon tax via his Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction (PACER) Act. PACER expressly adopts provisions from the recently repealed Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax regulation and would cost Pennsylvania ratepayers more than $1.5 billion annually. 

As a candidate, Shapiro voiced “real concerns” about RGGI’s harm to our energy sector. Yet, he defended RGGI before the Supreme Court and peddles PACER as a “state-specific” fix that burdens our most reliable generation sources. Critics aren’t fooled. This hypocrisy, and the market uncertainty it creates, hastens retirements of coal and natural gas plants, which PJM values highly for reliability. 

Shapiro should call it his “Gas-Lightning” Plan because he’s gaslighting Pennsylvanians by attributing skyrocketing bills to utilities, PJM, and “global instability,” while his policies would most certainly shutter reliable generation. 

Governor Shapiro’s plan also increases the current wind and solar mandate in Pennsylvania from 8 percent to 35 percent through his so-called “PRESS” initiative. If enacted, PRESS would further increase Pennsylvania ratepayer costs by another $1.5 billion. Plants like Keystone-Conemaugh, Pennsylvania’s last coal plant and largest source of electric generation, risk early closure under this regulatory onslaught, amplifying the deficits PJM forecasts. It’s not a serious plan. It’s pure gaslighting. 

Pennsylvania boasts vast coal and natural gas reserves that could power our economy for decades, and spur Pennsylvania to lead the artificial intelligence revolution. But Shapiro’s ideology-over-reliability stance jeopardizes that. 

As Treasurer, I’ve fought for energy security and job growth, opposing policies that burden taxpayers. We can’t tolerate this evasion. Pennsylvania must incentivize at-risk plants to remain operational. We need expedited permitting for new natural gas and nuclear projects. And we must ditch carbon taxes like PACER-RGGI and weather-dependent mandates like PRESS that punish our families and workers. 

Governor Shapiro should stop the blame game and lead. Focus on reliable, affordable energy for Pennsylvanians. Our fiscal health and future hinge on it. As your next governor, I’ll ensure we harness our resources wisely and keep the lights on and our economy thriving. 

Stacy Garrity is the 79th Treasurer of Pennsylvania and a candidate for governor in 2026.