HARRISBURG – Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23), chairman of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, along with several members of the Senate Republican Caucus, today sent a letter to PJM Interconnection urging the mid-Atlantic grid operator to reject recent recommendations that would overhaul their competitive market structure and prioritize wind and solar projects ahead of the planned phase-out of federal tax incentives.
“Competitive energy markets have delivered reliable, affordable power to millions of PJM consumers for decades,” said Yaw. “State mandates and artificial price controls distort those markets, discourage investment and ultimately drive-up costs. PJM should remain focused on preserving the current structure and reject these misguided and short-sighted recommendations that undermine reliability and affordability.”
The letter, addressed to PJM President and CEO Manu Asthana, responds directly to the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators’ September 29th letter, which called for PJM to accelerate the connection of wind and solar projects. Yaw and his colleagues warn that favoring these intermittent sources over proven baseload generation resources like natural gas, coal and nuclear would jeopardize grid stability and increase costs for ratepayers.
The legislators encouraged PJM to carefully weigh long-term impacts of any market changes, enact rigorous project feasibility standards and conduct deeper industry analysis before adopting any sweeping changes.
For more state-related news and information, constituents can visit Senator Yaw’s website at www.SenatorGeneYaw.com or follow him on Facebook and X @SenatorGeneYaw.
CONTACT:
Elizabeth Weitzel
717-787-3280