Across our Commonwealth, residents continue to face a relentless wave of utility rate increases. I hear it through calls and emails, in conversations with constituents, and while speaking with small business owners who are doing everything they can to keep up.
 
Pennsylvanians are exhausted. Too many families and employers are being forced to sacrifice savings, long-term planning, and financial stability simply to absorb the compounding effect of recurring rate increases for essential services. Not only is this reality unfair, but the cumulative impact of these increases is often not presented in a clear and easily accessible way during the regulatory process.
 
Currently, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) publishes an annual “Rate Comparison Report” that outlines average monthly electric and natural gas rates across regulated service territories and customer classes. While useful, the report does not provide a complete picture of how repeated rate increases affect consumers over time.
 
I will soon introduce legislation directing the PUC to strengthen and expand this report by requiring the inclusion of each utility’s recent rate case and settlement history in a standardized and consumer-friendly format. In addition, the report would, for the first time, include comparable information for electric generation suppliers, natural gas suppliers, and publicly regulated water and wastewater utilities that are not comprehensively included under the current reporting structure.
 
By expanding and standardizing this information, the “Public Utility Rate Impact and Transparency Act” will provide policymakers and the public with a clearer understanding of the cumulative burden that repeated utility rate increases place on Pennsylvania households and businesses.
 
Please join me in supporting this important transparency initiative. Together, we can help ensure consumers, regulators, and lawmakers have the information necessary to make informed decisions and better protect Pennsylvania families, employers, and ratepayers.