HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania House passed legislation Tuesday that would require the state Public Utility Commission to weigh affordability, reliability and other public-interest factors when deciding utility matters, advancing the measure to the Senate as lawmakers focus on costs facing ratepayers.
House Bill 2184, introduced by state Rep. Danielle Friel Otten, D-Chester, passed 150-53 with bipartisan support.
The legislation would establish a statutory definition of “public interest” for PUC proceedings and require the commission to consider affordability, reliability, resilience, economic impacts, energy efficiency, sustainability, transparency, public safety and equitable treatment of customers.
The commission would also have to explain how its decisions align with that public-interest standard.
Friel Otten characterized the proposal as an accountability measure that would apply to decisions involving utility rates and infrastructure without prescribing the outcome of individual proceedings.
“It doesn’t tell the PUC what to decide, but it does require the commission to consider how those decisions affect the people who ultimately pay the bills and to provide a transparent explanation of how the public interest is being served,” Friel Otten said.
She tied the legislation to household financial pressure, citing United Way’s ALICE report as showing 40% of Pennsylvania households are living on the financial edge.
“For those families, a sudden spike in utility costs isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a crisis,” Friel Otten said.
House Bill 2184 now moves to the Pennsylvania Senate for consideration.
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