State Representative Jim Struzzi has submitted some public comments to support a proposed consent decree between the state Department of Environmental Protection and the parent company of the Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations to allow them to continue operations beyond their 2028 retirement date.
The chair of the House Appropriations Committee said that the two stations have been a longtime and strong part of the state’s energy landscape and the local economies, and the decree would prevent economic fallout from early closures. He also said the facilities were “indispensable to the PJM (power) grid,” and with increasing demands from data centers, the output is needed more than ever. Struzzi also said that the impact the property taxes and blue collar jobs have is also vitally important in keeping the area stable.
The decree would settle potential violations while establishing enforceable milestones for environmental requirements.
