Uniting States to Save the Mid-Atlantic From an Impending Energy Crisis
By Kristin Marcell
October 29, 2025
Families across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia are feeling the dire consequences from decades of unrealistic and wasteful energy decisions. Electric bills keep rising and the power grid faces an ever-increasing strain. From suburban homes to small businesses, everyone is impacted by energy prices. Leaders must answer to the people they serve why grid reliability is eroding, energy costs are increasing and energy production is stalled.
In Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro and others are quick to blame regional grid operators like Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection (PJM). However, PJM must operate within the policies established by the states it serves. When those state policies restrict supply and discourage investment, prices inevitably rise — exactly what we saw this summer.
Gov. Shapiro’s so-called “Lightning Plan” undermines Pennsylvania’s proven track record as an energy leader. With his ongoing attempts to force the Commonwealth into carbon-tax schemes such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) — pushing green-energy mandates that punish production of affordable energy and using government handouts that distort markets and kill competition — it should be no surprise that Pennsylvania’s energy sector is falling behind. Analysts estimate that RGGI alone could raise energy bills by more than 30%, while Shapiro’s policy initiatives like PACER and PRESS could double them.
If Gov. Shapiro truly wants to deliver affordable and reliable energy, he must stop playing the blame game and start addressing the policies at home that are driving up costs. If Pennsylvania wants to be an energy leader Shapiro needs to start by modernizing regulations that delay projects, scrap punitive energy taxes and restore Pennsylvania’s reputation as an energy innovator. Until then, families will continue paying the price for Harrisburg’s failures.
Across the Delaware River, New Jersey is facing its own affordability crisis brought on by years of ideological spending and the demonization of traditional fuels.
By codifying the main thrust of the Murphy administration’s Energy Master Plan into law, Trenton Democrats have placed ratepayers on a trajectory of higher bills and reduced reliability. Taxpayers footed the bill for countless subsidies as political motivations circumvented cost and common sense. As New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) Deputy Chief Government Affairs Officer Ray Cantor recently warned, “This is only going to worsen our affordability and reliability issues.” He added, “You cannot put ideology ahead of practicality as part of an energy transition.”
Those warnings have proved prescient. New Jersey residents already experienced 20% energy hikes last summer, and the state has gone from a net exporter of energy to a net importer – a change that was predicted six years ago when the plan was first proposed. This newfound reality creates a major vulnerability as New Jersey residents must now rely on other states’ production, such as that of Pennsylvania, to stave off brownouts and blackouts.
The lesson is simple: abandoning a common sense, all-of-the-above approach to energy leaves consumers paying more for less reliability. New Jersey still very much needs a diverse mix that includes natural gas, which today powers nearly half of the state’s electricity generation and heats more than 70% of homes.
Recognizing the urgency of these challenges, legislators from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia will come together later this month for a regional hearing on energy affordability and reliability. This effort represents a new model of collaboration, one where state lawmakers work together to exchange solutions, align policies and confront shared problems head-on.
As representatives from neighboring states, we are proud to be leading this initiative. Together, we’re demonstrating that energy reliability and affordability aren’t partisan issues; they’re foundational issues that affect every family and business. Following the Pennsylvania hearing, additional hearings will be held throughout the Mid-Atlantic to carry forward this regional approach.
Our goal is straightforward: to stop the bleeding and make energy affordable, reliable and secure across the Mid-Atlantic. That requires collaboration, balance and a commitment to policy grounded in results, not rhetoric. When our states work together, we can protect consumers, strengthen our economies and ensure the lights stay on for generations to come.
Kristin Marcell is a State Representative in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Paul Kanitra is a Member of the New Jersey General Assembly.
https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2025/10/29/uniting_states_to_save_the_mid-atlantic_from_an_impending_energy_crisis_1143896.html
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