While the work of the Pennsylvania Utility Commission directly affects ratepayers, businesses, and communities across the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania law does not provide a clear statutory definition of the “public interest,” nor does it require the PUC to demonstrate how its decisions serve that interest. This lack of clarity can leave ratepayers, utilities, and the public without a common understanding of how PUC decisions align with broader public priorities.

Under current Pennsylvania law, the PUC has a directive to balance the needs of consumers and utilities. But when utility consumers increasingly include large-load customers like data centers, who is looking out for the public good or the needs and interests of the average ratepayer?

My legislation seeks to address this gap by establishing a clear definition of “public interest” with regard to utility proceedings; requiring the PUC to explicitly consider the public interest in every proceeding, deliberation, and decision; and requiring that PUC orders include findings demonstrating how its decisions align with the public interest.

The resulting framework will direct the PUC to weigh not only rates and reliability, but also affordability, resilience, equitable treatment of customers, economic impacts, energy efficiency, long-term sustainability, transparency, and public safety.

By codifying a clear, comprehensive definition and rubric to guide PUC decision making, this legislation will strengthen accountability, ensure fair treatment of all customer classes, and ensure that Pennsylvania’s energy and utility policies reflect the needs and interests of ratepayers and communities, not just market forces.

Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation to bring clarity and fairness to the definition of public interest and ensure that this underlying principle guides every decision made by the Public Utility Commission.