To:
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
Commonwealth Keystone Building, Second Floor
400 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Re: Docket M-2025-3054271
Public Utility Commissioners DeFrank, Barrow, Coleman, Yanora, and Zerfuss:
Thank you for advancing the review of the Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) Tentative
Order proposing a model tariff (Large Load Tariff) to address the grid and customer
impacts of large load customers across Pennsylvania. As public health, family, and energy
affordability advocates, we encourage the PUC to take an additional step and hear directly
from Pennsylvanians through public hearings, much like the important en banc hearing the
PUC held last spring on data centers. Given heightened municipal and community
awareness of data centers since that hearing, a broader range of public input would allow
the Commission to more fully understand the scale of the impact and challenges that
Pennsylvania families face as a result of recent changes in electricity demand.
Recent energy costs have been increasing at an unmanageable rate for Pennsylvanians to
sustain. Since 2020, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration findings compiled
by Inside Climate News, Pennsylvania’s electricity prices have increased by an average of
over 46% percent, but many households pay much more than the average depending on
their electric utility company. When electricity becomes unaffordable, the health and
well-being of Pennsylvanians may suffer as many have to choose between keeping the lights
on and buying groceries, filling a prescription, or paying rent. Higher electricity rates
increase energy insecurity, and evidence published in Health Affairs shows its association
with higher odds of respiratory, cardiovascular, and mental health conditions. The recent
electricity price increases are due in significant part to the development of energy-hungry
data centers. Recent polling has demonstrated that 71% of Pennsylvanians are concerned
about the amount of electricity that data centers use. For these reasons, it is imperative that
the PUC add a public hearing component to its review of the Large Load Tariff proposal. The
PUC’s choice to adopt or reject the Large Load Tariff proposal will have a significant impact
on Pennsylvanians. The PUC has the authority and duty to protect Pennsylvania ratepayers.
Pennsylvanians deserve to know how these proposals will impact their energy bills. A
public input hearing is necessary for informed decision-making and to allow ALL impacted
Pennsylvanians a voice in protecting their families' needs.
Thank you for your consideration of our request,
Vanessa Lynch
Pennsylvania Campaign Coordinator
Moms Clean Air Force - PA Chapter
Alice Lu
Policy Analyst
Clean Air Council
Brad Barkdoll
Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs
Energy Efficiency Alliance
Ethan Story
Advocacy Director
Center for Coalfield Justice
Alison L. Steele
Executive Director
Environmental Health Project
Nina Juntereal
Pennsylvania Nurse Advocacy Coordinator
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
Chris Buchheit
Energy Engineer III
Clearesult
Lucyna de Barbaro
Director
Energy Efficiency Empowerment
Rob Hosken
Principal
Building Performance Architecture