Jul. 15, 2025
HARRISBURG – Conversations happening now in western Pennsylvania demonstrate why Pennsylvania needs to have more robust and inviting policies related to energy production, according to Reps. Martina White (R-Philadelphia), Tim O’Neal (R-Washington) and David Rowe (R-Juniata/Mifflin/Union).
This week, U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) is hosting a summit at Carnegie Mellon University to link leaders in energy, artificial intelligence, finance and government. The summit seeks to facilitate conversations about the nation’s energy future and the innovation tied to it.
Because Pennsylvania is already the nation’s second-largest producer of electricity, the representatives feel it is imperative to build on that legacy and position the Commonwealth to continue to lead the United States throughout the 21st century and beyond.
“Gov. Josh Shapiro should take the recommendations of today’s business and public policy leaders – don’t over tax, don’t overregulate and don’t over litigate. Pennsylvania has the potential to attract $90 billion in investment from the alignment of the most technologically advanced industries in the world with the state’s energy sector. With this momentum, we can excel and accelerate our economic growth. Creating a competitive business climate is the only way to attract and retain job creators,” White said.
White, O’Neal and Rowe are concerned the governor’s proposals, including the ones nicknamed PRESS and PACER, establish energy mandates that would further stress production and suppliers. The plans to increase the amount of renewable sources and establish a carbon tax would lead to increased costs for consumers on their utility bills, hurting families when they can least afford it.
“Making further investments in natural gas production would build on our abundant history and help unleash this state’s tremendous potential, plus thousands of jobs would be created in the process. Recent grid disruptions both domestically and abroad show why we need to have consistent, reliable power produced in our region,” Rowe said.
“Pennsylvania needs energy policies that focus on affordability and reliability, rather than policies that pick winners and losers in production. It is time we wake up, acknowledge the coming tech needs and think about what is best for Pennsylvania,” O’Neal said.
Representative Martina White
170th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jennifer Fitch
717-260-6563
jfitch@pahousegop.com
RepWhite.com / Facebook.com/RepMartinaWhite