Rep. Houlahan town hall focuses on energy affordability

U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-6th Dist.) hosted a town hall at Owen J. Roberts High School in South Coventry, Pennsylvania, to discuss the critical issue of energy affordability. The event highlighted that electricity costs in Pennsylvania have surged by nearly 22 percent over the past year, making it the second-highest increase nationwide, even as overall electricity usage has declined by 5 percent. Key factors contributing to these rising costs, according to Houlahan, include a Republican-led tax-and-spending bill signed by President Trump in 2025, which cut subsidies for solar and wind projects while ending tax rebates for energy efficiency. The ongoing war with Iran was also cited for its impact on gas prices. A significant portion of the discussion focused on data centers, with Houlahan stating that 101 data centers in Pennsylvania have increased electricity costs by $9.3 billion, accounting for 63 percent of the price hike. The panel discussion featured Flora Cardoni, deputy director of Penn Environment; Tom Bonner, director of policy, advocacy and external affairs at PECO; and Patrick Patterson, regional director of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)'s southeast regional office. Rachael Griffith, sustainability director for Chester County, moderated. Patterson noted the DEP's success under Gov. Josh Shapiro in eliminating permitting backlogs for projects, including energy generation. Cardoni emphasized the importance of federal energy efficiency standards and clean energy projects, like solar and wind, for their ability to increase supply faster and address climate change. Bonner of PECO explained that while PECO controls delivery, electricity supply is deregulated. He highlighted the utility's requirement for a 10-year letter of credit from data center customers to guarantee revenues, ensuring infrastructure investments are not wasted. He stressed the rapid increase in electricity demand from data centers, now growing at 4 percent annually, necessitating swift construction of new power plants, with renewables being the quickest option. Houlahan, responding to a question about a national moratorium on data centers, expressed skepticism, citing the difficulty of passing substantial legislation in Washington. She urged citizens to vote in upcoming elections, emphasizing a shared experience of rising costs and eroding checks and balances.