The state legislature will be at work in Harrisburg this week. The Senate has session days planned Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, including a meeting of Appropriations Committee on Monday. Senator Joe Pittman is a member of that committee.
The House will be in session Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Monday’s calendar includes consideration of a bill granting the Public Utility Commission the authority to regulate large-load energy users, targeting data centers. The broad authority of the PUC would include assigning responsibility for the increased cost of electricity upgrades to the large capacity users so that the public does not have to foot the bill. Other legislative proposals are requiring contributions to the LIHEAP program and other state regulation of the data center industry.
The PUC has already proposed a regulatory framework that would include most of those objectives.
Representative Jim Struzzi’s Appropriations is also scheduled to meet on Monday.
