The plan could add 118 GW of solar to the PJM by 2040.
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro is looking to bring an “all-of-the-above” approach to modernize the state’s energy plan by boosting the share of renewable energy buildout in the state.
Among the plan’s initiatives is the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS), which aims to modernize Pennsylvania’s energy standards and incentive innovation in renewable energy and battery storage, among other things. PRESS, which was also introduced into the general assembly last session by Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D) and Rep. Danielle Friel Otten (D), would help to diversity the state’s mix of energy resources with a focus on clean energy.
Pennsylvania’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) currently requires utilities to include 8% of alternative energy in the generation they sell to customers within the state, half of which must come from solar. PRESS would gradually increase this RPS requirement by 2.7% annually until 2034, when it reaches 35%, where it would remain until 2041.
Compared to the state’s alternative energy portfolio standard, PRESS requires a higher percentage of retail sales come from low-and-no-carbon resources as well as from in-state generators. Both policies prioritize resource diversity and require that a percentage of annual retail electricity sales come from an all-of-the-above set of generation resources, including solar, wind, landfill gas, hydro, biomass, fuel cells, waste coal and others.
PRESS would also require 10% of Pennsylvania’s total annual wholesale electricity demand to be met by renewable energy credits (RECs) that originate in the state. This would increase by 1% per year through 2050.
“Pennsylvania has long been a national energy leader, from Ben Franklin to today,” Gov. Shapiro said when he announced the plan earlier this year. “But right now, we’re letting other states outcompete us and we’re losing out on jobs, new investment, and innovation – that has to change.”
According to an evaluation of PRESS funded by U.S. Department of Energy Grid Deployment Office and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, PRESS would result in an incremental 4.1 GW build out of PRESS-eligible alternative energy resources in Pennsylvania by 2040. Within the PJM grid, the report estimated there would be about 118 GW of solar, 79 GW of wind, 75 GW of gas, 32 GW of battery storage and 1 GW of nuclear added by 2040, along with 24 GW of coal retirements.
“It’s not just enough for us as a Commonwealth to reduce our reliance on fossil fuel infrastructure. It’s important for us to boost the amount of renewable energy here in the state,” said Patrick McDonnell, president and CEO of PennFuture.
Sen. Scott Martin (R) criticized the plan, saying the governor “has not been transparent about the cost and impact of his energy plan.”
The Lightning Plan also provides funding for new energy projects through an updated Pennsylvania Economic Development for a Growing Economy manufacturing tax credit, streamlines energy project approvals by creating a state energy siting board, creates rebates for energy-efficient appliances and encourages communities to lower utility bills through shared energy resources.
A large majority of bipartisan Pennsylvania voters support increasing renewable energy production in the state, found polling conducted last year by Global Strategy Group.
Just 0.89% of the Pennsylvania’s electricity comes from solar, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). With 2.49 GW, Pennsylvania ranks 22nd in the country for its total installed solar capacity, SEIA said. Data through Q3 2024 from LandGate found Pennsylvania has 480 proposed projects waiting in the interconnection queue. Combining to 10,469 MW, Pennsylvania’s total solar capacity would increase 18x if the projects came online.
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