HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania representatives Chris Rabb and Joe Webster, both Democrats, have introduced legislation aimed at increasing transparency in energy policy decision-making. House Bill 782 seeks to eliminate secret voting practices among members of PJM, the entity responsible for managing electricity distribution across much of the northeastern United States.
Under the current system, PJM employs a two-tiered voting process. Members, which include electricity generators and utility companies, cast initial votes in private during lower-level committee meetings. These votes largely determine which policies advance to the upper-level committees, where voting is sometimes public. Critics argue that this lack of transparency at the foundational level allows significant decisions affecting energy policies and electricity costs to be made without public scrutiny.
HB 782 proposes an amendment to Title 66 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. If enacted, it would require any Pennsylvania utility that is part of PJM to report its recorded votes and provide the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission with a brief explanation of how those votes align with the public interest, regardless of whether PJM mandates such disclosure.
“Decisions by PJM and its members directly impact our transition to clean energy and the cost of electricity,” said Rep. Rabb. “Allowing secret votes with no accountability is akin to the fox guarding the hen house. People deserve to know how these decisions are being made.”
The bill aims to enhance accountability and ensure that decisions influencing energy policies are made transparently, with adequate consideration of their broader implications for the public. HB 782 has been referred to the Pennsylvania House Energy Committee for further deliberation.
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