New Report: Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Energy Proposals Will Double Electric Bills

The report finds PACER and PRESS proposals would impose massive increases to household electricity rates.

Harrisburg, Pa., May 27, 2025 — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation released its latest energy report, which examined the cost and impact of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s two climate-related energy proposals: the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Act (PACER) and the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS).

PACER is a carbon tax on power producers resulting in economy-wide implications. PRESS would expand the commonwealth’s alternative energy mandates, requiring that more of Pennsylvania’s electricity come from unreliable energy sources, like solar and wind, by 2035.

The new report analyzed the high consumer cost of such proposals and their damaging effect on Pennsylvania’s economy.

Key Findings 

• By 2035, PACER and PRESS would impose $157 billion in additional statewide electricity costs for businesses and households. Most of these costs—about $155 billion—stem from PRESS compliance, and $2.2 billion from PACER.
• With PACER and PRESS, overall electricity rates would increase by 60 percent and residential electric bills would more than double. By 2035, annual electric costs would rise by $1,754 for households, $5,554 for commercial businesses, and $178,620 for industrial customers. 

PRESS would necessitate a massive overbuilding of wind, solar, and batteries to compensate for their unreliability—costs not needed with more reliable forms of power generation, such as natural gas, coal, and nuclear power.

Senior Manager of Energy Policy for the Commonwealth Foundation, André Béliveau, issued the following statement: 

“Pennsylvania is an electricity powerhouse and an energy leader for the nation. Any proposal that undermines this standing should face scrutiny, especially those as vast as Gov. Josh Shapiro’s PACER and PRESS proposals.

“The analysis found PACER and PRESS to be harmful for the future of Pennsylvania’s energy landscape and unreasonably expensive for Pennsylvania’s families and businesses.

“Even more concerning, these proposals harm Pennsylvania’s abundant energy resources, such as natural gas, that position the state as a regional leader in emissions reduction and reliable electrical generation. Political favoritism toward unreliable and costly energy sources, like solar and wind power, would devastate the commonwealth’s economy and harm families. Pennsylvanians should not foot the bill for an energy plan that undermines Pennsylvania’s energy future and the quality of life for its citizens.

“The data could not be clearer: Pennsylvania cannot afford PACER and PRESS. The way to bolster Pennsylvania’s energy dominance is to support policies that promote affordable and reliable power, rather than handing over taxpayer dollars to green energy special interests.

“Governor Shapiro’s ‘Green New Deal’ is the antithesis of good energy policy. If the governor truly wanted to ‘get stuff done’ on energy, he would abandon his current plans and work with the General Assembly on real solutions to secure reliable and affordable power in the commonwealth.

“Pennsylvania is the key to American energy dominance, but only if Josh Shapiro puts an end to his energy taxes and green-tinted fever dreams.”

Read the Commonwealth Foundation’s latest analysis, in collaboration with Issac Orr and Mitch Rolling from Always On Energy Research, here. 

Commonwealth Foundation experts are available for comment. Please contact Giana DePaul at gmd@commonwealthfoundation.org or (215) 859-0384 to schedule.

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