Harrisburg, PA – Once again Pennsylvania consumers will see electricity rates climb higher starting tomorrow, September 1st. On August 10th, the Public Utilities Commission announced these rate increases, the second major electricity hike in Pennsylvania in the past 6 months.
With Pennsylvania Senate Democrats casting their votes earlier this year in support of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), we will continue to see electricity rates increase across the Commonwealth.
The Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) has estimated that RGGI would increase consumer electricity costs by nearly $800 million. This increase could subject Pennsylvania families to electricity rates skyrocketing by as much as 30 percent. This regressive tax would especially crush lower income and fixed income seniors at a time when inflation is still running rampant.
In light of these latest electricity rate hikes across Pennsylvania, the PA Senate Republican Campaign Committee released the following statement:
“Electricity companies are going to keep increasing prices as long as inflation continues the trend it has been taking and RGGI continues to move forward,” PA SRCC Communications Director Michael Straw stated. “Senate Democrats had a chance to stop the implementation of RGGI and provide some relief for middle-class families squeezed by inflation. Instead, they stood with special interests.”