Senator Gene Yaw, chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, has called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reconsider a proposal from PJM Interconnection that he says would place an unfair financial burden on Pennsylvania families and businesses.
In a letter released on March 4, 2026, Yaw addressed federal regulators regarding PJM’s plan to extend a region-wide “price collar,” which is a temporary cap on capacity prices in the electricity market. While Yaw expressed support for short-term measures to prevent price spikes, he criticized the current approach for distributing costs evenly among all states, regardless of which states’ policies are driving increased demand and causing power plant closures.
“Pennsylvania’s diverse energy mix powers our state and exports reliable electricity to our neighbors,” Yaw said. “We support temporary protections for consumers, but states that retire plants and drive-up demand must pay their fair share, not shift those costs onto Pennsylvania ratepayers.”
Pennsylvania produces significant amounts of energy through natural gas, nuclear, and coal generation. The state not only supplies its own needs but also exports electricity to neighboring states. Yaw argued that when other states adopt policies reducing reliable generation or encourage large new energy users such as data centers, they should be responsible for the resulting added strain on the electric grid.
Yaw noted that before the implementation of the price cap, electricity prices in high-demand states like Maryland and Virginia reflected local supply and demand conditions. This system provided clear signals about where new investment was needed. He warned that extending a flat region-wide cap without changes would obscure these signals and force energy-producing states like Pennsylvania to bear higher costs created by decisions made elsewhere.
Yaw proposed an alternative hybrid model: maintaining a base price cap to protect consumers in areas without grid constraints while allowing higher charges in states where policy choices have led to tighter supply and increased demand. According to him, this approach would hold each state accountable for its decisions without raising prices for responsible energy producers or Pennsylvania consumers.
Yaw has been involved in various community activities such as coaching Little League Baseball and youth soccer as noted on his official website. He has also served as general counsel to the Pennsylvania College of Technology for over two decades and chaired its board since 2013. In addition to leading the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, he has served as vice chairman of the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee [source]. His district includes parts of Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Tioga, and Union counties [source].
For more information or updates from Senator Yaw’s office, constituents can visit www.SenatorGeneYaw.com or follow him on Facebook and X @SenatorGeneYaw.
