HARRISBURG – Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Scott Martin (R-Lancaster) issued the following statement today in reaction to Governor Shapiro’s comments yesterday on energy policy:
“It is beyond frustrating to hear Governor Shapiro continuing to make our regional grid operator a scapegoat for his poor energy policies. The single biggest impediment to increased energy production, expanded baseload capacity and lower prices for consumers is the looming threat of Pennsylvania being entered into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and having over a billion dollars of new taxes levied on Pennsylvania consumers and energy producers. That threat only exists because Governor Shapiro is continuing to push the issue in the courts.
“The Commonwealth Court already ruled that RGGI is unconstitutional. The most important thing Governor Shapiro could do to unleash Pennsylvania’s energy potential is dropping his appeal of the RGGI ruling and getting government out of the market’s way. He hasn’t come anywhere close to doing that during his nearly three years in office.
“Part of being a leader is reflecting on your approach to issues and making positive changes when your method isn’t working. Governor Shapiro’s approach isn’t working, and it’s preventing us from expanding baseload capacity to prevent price increases and avoid potential blackouts in the years ahead. His unwillingness to reexamine issues like the RGGI appeal, moratoriums on natural gas drilling, and the deep flaws in his ‘RGGI lite’ Lightning plan are setting us back at a time when we need to move forward.
“Governor Shapiro needs to do more than just complain and deflect blame. It’s time for him to take accountability and actually get stuff done for Pennsylvanians – not just talk about it.”
CONTACT: Jason Thompson