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| Capitol Report |
#Listrak\DateStampLong#
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The latest news from the State Capitol
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Please do not reply directly to this email, as it returns to an unattended account.
You are welcome to contact me through this link.
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Holiday Open House with Santa
Please join us for a Holiday Open House with Santa on Thursday, December 11, from 4 - 6 p.m. at my district office. We will enjoy light refreshments, meet neighbors and share some holiday cheer.
Santa will be on hand for families who would like a photo with him. I always value the chance to meet with residents in person, especially during a season which brings our communities together.
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Energy Policy: Federal Rulemaking to Address Consumer Electricity Costs
I have joined a coalition of state elected officials across the PJM region to demand that PJM take a position on joining large load customers to our grid.
If you have been following my series on energy, you know that we have covered a lot of waterfront about why our electricity prices have suddenly spiked.
Here is a very brief recap of the discussion thus far: *
• According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity demand has remained relatively flat for the last 25 years in part because of our national emphasis on energy efficiency. Our electricity generation reflects our demand, and generation has consistently fluctuated between 300-400 gigawatts, spiking during our summer need for air conditioning and then returning to a baseline. It has been a very predictable market.
• During that time, coal generation has trended down consistently; nuclear has been completely flat (because we have not built much new nuclear); hydroelectric has remained flat; wind and solar have grown somewhat relative to the total generation mix; and natural gas generation has grown substantially. (Source: EIA)
• “If demand has remained flat, then why am I seeing a big jump in my electric bills?”
o It is largely due to the capacity market and not the cost of actual power. The capacity market is the price we pay for the promise of future power: we pay power plants to promise that they will be available in the future, even if we don’t need them every hour of every day.
o Think of the electricity capacity market like paying a fire department. We are not paying the fire department for how many fires they actually put out next year. We are paying them to be ready, with trucks fueled and people awake, so that if your house catches fire, someone actually shows up.
o Electricity works the same way. We don’t just need power plants that generate electricity today. We need enough power plants ready for the worst-case moments, like a surge in demand, summer heatwaves or a polar vortex.
o So, the capacity market is payment for a promise to have electricity available. The price of that "promise" fluctuates on what forecasters estimate will be our future demand.
• And there reveals the problem: forecasters are now accounting for substantial increases in demand based on electrification and the societal demand for data – and therefore, data centers. The price increase of the capacity-promise in one auction was almost ten times (10x) the previous price. It is pure supply and demand: there is not enough generation online to serve all of the needs, so the price to reserve the capacity-promise shot up.
• Those costs are passed along directly to us consumers by the utilities with no optionality for them to avoid passing along the costs.
• The simple economics problem suggests we need new generation immediately. We do not have enough electricity to meet the expected demand.
• Part of the reason we do not have enough electricity generation in Pennsylvania is because the last two Governors entered us into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) by executive order. RGGI would place a carbon tax on natural gas generation. That tax eats into the profit of generating electricity, so new natural gas generation was largely not built in Pennsylvania. Those executive orders were rejected by the Commonwealth Court, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has been sitting on the issue. So, while RGGI has not been implemented in Pennsylvania, the regulatory uncertainty has caused natural gas companies to pass on new generation. They were simply waiting for a favorable economic environment.
• The General Assembly recently voted in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote (through the budget) to end our involvement in RGGI, and the Governor has signed that into law. It is a huge economic win for Pennsylvania.
While all of this was happening, I have been working in several groups to address consumer electricity costs brought by the spike in capacity prices.
As you have read before, I like to reduce problems to their simplest forms. Here are my sequenced questions (which we all in the policy world are trying to answer):
• If we do not have enough generation to meet demand, who is going to build it?
• Who is going to pay for that new generation build?
• Who is going to pay for those large customers to connect to the grid (transmission and distribution)?
• If we are going to limit the kinds of generation that may be built, can we possibly build enough to meet the expected demand? What will that do to our electricity prices?
• If we cannot build enough fast enough, what happens to grid reliability for consumers?
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) directed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to engage in rulemaking to set rules for interconnecting data centers and other large loads to the transmission grid. That has sparked a large debate about whether the federal government has jurisdiction over our regional grids and the processes for setting electricity (utility) prices at the state level.
The idea was to push regions to plan earlier, assign costs more fairly, and stop pretending these giant demands appear out of thin air. DOE’s pitch was basically: let’s get ahead of the tidal wave before it hits the beach.
PJM initiated its own process to respond to the proposed rulemaking by FERC. I was a part of proposals to PJM. But at their meeting to review the proposals, PJM did not accept a single one. They agreed the problem exists, but they rejected all the solutions on the table because none of them, in PJM’s view, protected their states’ cost structures or gave PJM enough control to manage reliability without opening the door to massive cost-shifting. PJM acknowledged the challenge, then voted down every plan because each one came with political, financial, or governance risks they refused.
I joined a letter from a multi-state legislator coalition (based in part on my membership in the Energy Supply Task Force of the National Conference of State Legislatures) that demanded that PJM take a position, but they did not do so before the deadline for FERC submissions.
The next capacity auction is next summer. We need a solution before it arrives.
Next, we will discuss some of the possible solutions. Teaser: As of now, I favor solutions which involve BYOG (Bring Your Own Generation) by the large-load customers. Wyoming has the cleanest version of this plan already in place, and they are building dozens of new data centers and boosting their state’s revenues as a result.
*Please contact my office if you would like to receive copies of our previous newsletters on the energy series. We will gladly email them to you.
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Property Tax/Rent Rebate Assistance Available Before December 31 Deadline
The deadline to apply for the 2024 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program is Wednesday, December 31. My office may help you complete the applications at no cost, if you need assistance.
Income limits increased this year to $46,520 for both homeowners and renters. This increase resulted from a 2023 law I supported which ties the income limit to the Consumer Price Index. When calculating eligibility, you should exclude 50% of Social Security income.
The program is open to residents age 65 and older, widows and widowers age 50 and older, and adults with disabilities age 18 and older. These rebates provide meaningful relief, and I want every eligible household in Chester and Delaware Counties to receive the support.
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New Law Protects Senior Citizens’ Prescription Coverage
Prescription medications remain expensive for many senior citizens. I supported Act 49 of 2025, because it protects thousands of senior Pennsylvanians from losing access to affordable prescription drug coverage.
Act 49 extends the current Social Security cost-of-living adjustment moratorium for the PACE and PACENET programs through December 31, 2027. This extension keeps more than 22,000 seniors from losing their benefits after modest Social Security increases.
The PACE and PACENET programs serve more than 250,000 Pennsylvanians age 65 and older.
Click here to learn more about who qualifies and how to apply.
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Around the District
Bethel Santa Letter Drop-Off
Bethel Township Hose Company No. 1 annual Santa Letter Drop-Off is now open through Saturday, December 13. Children may place their letters in the red mailbox at the firehouse, and volunteers will deliver them to Santa.
Santa will send a reply to all children who live in Bethel Township. Please include your child’s name and address so Santa knows where to send the letter. A stamped envelope is not required.
This is a fun opportunity for families to begin their holiday wish lists.
Photo Credit: Facebook
Bethel Township Yard Waste and Christmas Tree Disposal
Fall yard waste collection begins Monday, December 8, 2025. As residents finish their fall cleanup, please remember that all yard waste must be placed in biodegradable bags. Branches and trimmings must be cut into three-foot lengths and tied. Larger items will be collected as bulk trash. The following items are not accepted: railroad ties or timber, herbicides or pesticides, trees stumps limbs firewood, and lawnmowers. Contractor or black plastic bags cannot be collected, so please use the proper bags to avoid delays.
Christmas tree pickup begins Monday, January 5, 2026. Trees must be completely undecorated for proper recycling. Trees containing lights, ornaments, plastic wraps or bags, or tinsel will be collected as regular trash instead of through the recycling program.
For questions, please contact Opdenaker at 610-459-3515.
Photo Credit: Facebook
Chadds Ford Holiday Tree Lighting
Chadds Ford Township will host its Holiday Tree Lighting on Saturday, December 6, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the municipal building parking lot. Santa will arrive from the North Pole, and families may enjoy holiday treats, children’s activities, carolers, and seasonal music.
Photo Credit: Chadds Ford Township Residents Association
Concord Celebrates the Holidays with Santa
Concord Township invites you to celebrate the holidays on Friday, December 5 from 6 - 8 p.m. There will be a tree lighting, photos with Santa, carolers, hot chocolate, cookies, snacks, giveaways, kids crafts, “snowball” fights and more.
Photo Credit: Facebook
Thornbury Township Visit with Santa
Thornbury Township will host a Christmas Tree Lighting and visit with Santa on Saturday, December 6, at 5 p.m. in Thornbury Park. The event will include cookies and hot chocolate in the pavilion. Residents may bring a homemade eco-friendly ornament to help decorate the tree and may also bring a new unwrapped toy to support the Toys for Tots Holiday Toy Drive.
Photo Credit: Facebook
Westtown Township House Decorating Contest
Westtown Township invites residents to enter this year’s holiday house decorating contest. If you enjoy decorating the exterior of your home for the holidays, now is the time to start planning your display.
The Parks and Recreation team and township residents will judge all entries. The township will add participating addresses to a public list and map so neighbors may drive by and enjoy the displays.
To enter, email parkrec@westtown.org with your name, address, phone number, and a photo of your display by December 8. Prizes include gift cards for first, second, and third places and a yard sign to acknowledge the winners.
The township will announce winners on December 22.
Photo Credit: Facebook
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Bravo Zulu
*The BZ pennants are hoisted as a part of Navy/Marine Corps custom to communicate “GOOD JOB!”
Thank You, Coach Panepinto!
Thank you to Coach Panepinto for 17 years of coaching and leadership with Garnet Valley Football. He guided student-athletes with discipline and consistency, and he shaped many young men during his time as Defensive Coordinator. We wish him well as he steps away from the program to spend more time with his family.
Thank you, Coach!
Photo Credit: Garnet Valley Football Facebook
Garnet Valley Football Players Earn Central League Honors
Paxton Hunt earned Central League Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Central League honors. First Team selections include Hadrian Krauss and Owen Zweier.
Second Team selections include Billy Krause, Brandon Krause, Erick Spadea, Nick Potts, Ryan Vance, and Liam Genthert.
Honorable Mentions went to Michael Costa, Joey DiMarino, Anthony Gifford, Travis Griffith, Brandon Scanlon, and Clayton Turner.
Congratulations, once again, to these Garnet Valley Football players.
Photo Credit: Instagram
Garnet Valley Women's Basketball Win Season Opener
The Garnet Valley women's basketball team won their first game of the season in front of an electric crowd, with a 49-38 victory. This was a great start to a promising season. Congratulations!
Photo Credit: Instagram
Garnet Valley Wrestling Victorious Against Upper Darby
Garnet Valley opened their season with a huge victory against Upper Darby, winning 63-5. The team claimed 5 falls and 3 technical falls. Good work, Jags!
Photo Credit: Instagram
Unionville Baseball and Softball Turkey Trot Draws Record Turnout
The fourth annual Unionville Baseball and Softball Turkey Trot brought nearly 500 runners to the Unionville campus to kick off the Thanksgiving weekend. The event has become a valued community tradition that brings families and neighbors together while supporting the Kennett Area Community Service food cupboard. Their support helped raise needed food donations ahead of the holiday season.
Photo Credit: Instagram
Unionville Women's Basketball Defeats Interboro to Start Season
The Longhorns handedly beat the Interboro Buccaneers 53-21 to begin their season. It was a consistent and dominant performance throughout all four quarters. Great work!
Photo Credit: Facebook
Rustin Volleyball Players Earn All-State Recognition
Ava Theiller and Avery Stromberg of Rustin High School were selected to Pennsylvania’s AAA All-State Volleyball Team. Both athletes were already on the All-District first team and are receiving further recognition for their talent on the court. Congratulations!
Photo Credit: Facebook
Eagle Scout Recognition
Congratulations to Rocco Abessinio and Joshua Pinto on earning the rank of Eagle Scout. The Eagle rank reflects years of commitment, service, and steady leadership.
Rocco and Joshua are both high school seniors from Chadds Ford. Joshua is a Patrol Leader with Troop 31 and for his eagle scout project built a patio with two benches at the Pennsbury Township Building. Rocco is a Senior Patrol Leader and built a Memorial Garden at St. Edmonds Academy.
I was in Harrisburg passing the budget during their ceremony, but I thank Troop 31 for contacting me to share the accomplishments of these two young men. It was an honor to provide each of them with a citation from the House of Representatives and a Pennsylvania flag.
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| Office Locations |
| District Office: |
| One Beaver Valley Road | (intersection of Route 202 & Naamans Creek Road) Chadds Ford, PA 19317-9012 | Phone (610) 358-5925 | FAX: 610-358-5933 |
| Capitol Office: |
| 3 East Wing, P.O. Box 202160, Harrisburg, PA 17120-2160 | Phone: 717-783-3038 | FAX: 717-787-7604 |
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