Energy policy in Pennsylvania, 2004-2017

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Fracking in the U.S.
Energy policy in the U.S.
State fracking policy
State energy policy
Glossary of energy terms

Energy policy involves governmental actions affecting the production, distribution, and consumption of energy in a state. Energy policies are enacted and enforced at the local, state, and federal levels and may change over time. These policies include legislation, regulation, taxes, incentives for energy production or use, standards for energy efficiency, and more. Stakeholders include citizens, politicians, environmental groups, industry groups, and think tanks. A variety of factors can affect the feasibility of federal and state-level energy policies, such as available natural resources, geography, and consumer needs.

This article outlines state-level oil and gas regulations, renewable energy programs, oil and gas production, energy usage, energy and electricity prices, fuel taxes, and utilities in Pennsylvania.

See the tabs below for further information:

1. Policy: This tab provides information about state regulations on energy production and policies related to oil and gas production, fracking, renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, and net metering.
2. Production: This tab provides information about total energy production by energy source in Pennsylvania.
3. Usage: This tab presents information about electricity consumption by energy source.
4. Prices and taxes: This tab presents information about average energy and electricity prices, per capita spending on energy, and fuel taxes.
5. Utilities: This tab presents information about public and private utilities, electricity markets, the types of utilities in Pennsylvania, and the electric reliability organizations in Pennsylvania.
6. Background: This tab provides information about the types of nonrenewable and renewable energy sources produced and used in the United States, an energy profile of Pennsylvania, a state profile of Pennsylvania from the Almanac of American Politics (2016), and economic indicators in the state, such as median income.

Policy

State regulations

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Oil and Gas Management has regulatory authority over oil and natural gas operations in the state. State rules and regulations cover the drilling of all wells used for oil or gas exploration, the spacing of wells, permitting requirements for oil and gas operators, injection wells used to enhance oil and gas recovery or to dispose of wastewater, the cementing and plugging of wells, the underground storage of natural gas, the prevention of well blowout and leaks, well restoration, reporting requirements, and more. All Pennsylvania rules and regulations related to oil and gas operations are found in Chapter 78 of the Pennsylvania Code.

Fracking

See also: Fracking in Pennsylvania

The Office of Oil and Gas Management is responsible for regulating hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) in Pennsylvania. The office enforces regulations for the reporting and disclosure of the types of fluids used in fracking and at what volume, a description of each chemical additive used in fracking, the maximum amount of surface and injecting pressure used during the process, well safety, and other information considered necessary by the office for the regulation of fracking. More detailed information on oil and gas rules and regulations can be found in Chapter 78 of the Pennsylvania Code.

Renewable energy policies

States have implemented funding and financial incentive programs to subsidize or otherwise increase investment in renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power. These programs include renewable portfolio standards, grants, rebate programs, tax incentives, loans, performance-based incentives, and more. The aim of the policies generally involves reducing the cost of renewable energy production for consumers, reducing regulatory compliance costs, reducing investment risks involving renewable energy, and/or increasing the adoption of renewable energy sources by individuals and businesses.

Renewable Portfolio Standard

See also: Renewable Portfolio Standard

A Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), also known as a renewable electricity standard, is a mandate intended to increase the amount of renewable energy production and use. Under these standards, a utility company can be required by a state to have a certain percentage of its electricity come from certain renewable energy resources. In addition, states may give tax credits to utility companies to fulfill these requirements.

As of February 2017, Pennsylvania was one of 30 states with a Renewable Portfolio Standard. The state's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard was established by the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 2004. The standard requires all electric distribution companies and electric generation suppliers to retail electric customers in the state to generate 18 percent of their electricity from eligible renewable energy sources by the year 2021. Eligible renewable sources are categorized by two tiers: Tier I sources include new and existing facilities that generate electricity from solar energy, solar water and space heating, wind energy, hydroelectric power, biomass, and landfill methane gas. Utilities must generate 8 percent of their electricity from Tier I sources by the year 2021. Tier II sources include new and existing facilities that generate electricity from coal waste, distributed electric generation systems with less than 5 megawatts in capacity, municipal solid waste, wood pulping and manufacturing products used outside the state, and gasification combined cycle coal technology. Utilities must generate 10 percent of their electricity from Tier II sources by May 31, 2021.

Grant programs

States, nonprofit organizations, and/or private utilities may operate grant programs for renewable energy. These programs may include state or private funding for energy installation costs, research and development, infrastructure and business development, system testing, and renewable energy feasibility studies (studies that look into the potential for renewable energy use in specific areas). Grants can be provided with or without requiring a recipient to match the grant. Additional incentives, such as lower interest loans, may be included with a grant.

As of March 2015, Pennsylvania was one of 24 states with a state-run grant program for renewable energy. In 2008, the Pennsylvania State Legislature enacted a grant program for renewable energy. The program is administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department of Environmental Protection. Businesses, nonprofit organizations, economic development organizations, local governments, and K-12 schools are eligible for renewable energy grants. Projects eligible for grants include wind energy, geothermal energy, biomass, hydroelectric power facilities, landfill methane gas, and biomass. Grants for renewable energy projects are capped at $2 million or 30 percent of the project's cost. See the map below for grant programs by state.

States with grant programs for renewable energy as of March 2015 (Source: Environmental Protection Agency)

Loan programs

Loan programs may be used to offer lower interest loans or other financing options to individuals and businesses to reduce the upfront costs of purchasing and installing renewable energy technologies. Loan programs may include programs that use payments from earlier borrowers to provide loans for new borrowers, programs in which building owners reduce their energy consumption to pay their upfront costs for renewable energy technologies, and programs that allow individuals with a higher debt-to-income ratio to purchase homes that use less energy, among others.

As of March 2015, Pennsylvania was one of 36 states with a state-run loan program for renewable energy technologies. The program administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department of Environmental Protection (described above) includes loans for renewable energy projects. Loans are capped at $5 million for eligible projects, though the state government can authorize a larger loan on a case-by-case basis. Interest and loan terms depend on the type of project, though loans generally must be repaid within 10 years.

In addition, the state government operates the Solar Energy Program, which distributes loans for solar energy projects. Businesses, nonprofit organizations, economic development organization, and local governments (including municipalities, counties, and school districts) are eligible for solar energy loans. Applicants must share 25 percent of the project's costs. Loans can be used to acquire land or buildings for a solar energy project, to clear and prepare land for a project, to purchase and install solar energy equipment, to pay for the manufacturing of solar energy equipment, to pay permit fees, and to pay expenses related to securing other financing.

A complete list of state, local, and private incentive, loan, grant, and assistance programs for renewable energy and energy efficiency in Pennsylvania can be found here.

See the map below for renewable energy loan programs by state.

States with loan programs for renewable energy as of March 2015 (Source: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Energy efficiency regulations

As of February 2017, Pennsylvania required all new residential and commercial buildings to meet energy efficiency standards. All one and two-family residential buildings and townhouses must meet energy efficiency standards for heating, ventilating, air conditioning, water heating, and lighting found in the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code. All commercial buildings must meet similar standards under the ASHRAE 90.1-2007 Standard and the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code.

Net metering

Net metering is a billing system in which customers who generate their own electricity, usually using renewable sources (such as solar panels) are able to sell their excess electricity back to the electric grid, which is an interconnected network that is used to deliver electricity. This requires electricity to be able to flow both to and from a consumer.

As of October 2016, Pennsylvania was one of 41 states with a statewide net metering policy. All investor-owned utilities must offer net metering to the following electricity consumers:

• Residential customers that generate electricity from renewable energy systems with 50 kilowatts (kW) in capacity or less
• Nonresidential customers with electricity systems with 3 megawatts (MW) in capacity or less
• Customers with electricity systems with a capacity between 3 MW and 5 MW (in addition, the systems must be available to the electric grid during emergencies)

Eligible electricity systems include solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric power, geothermal energy, biomass, fuel cells, combined heat and power systems, municipal solid waste, waste coal, and methane from coal mines. Electric generation suppliers in Pennsylvania may provide net metering but are not required by law to do so. For a complete list of net metering programs by state, click here.

Recent legislation

The following is a list of recent energy policy bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Pennsylvania State Legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Ballot measures

Energy policy ballot measures

See also: Energy on the ballot and List of Pennsylvania ballot measures

Ballotpedia has not covered any ballot measures relating to state and local energy policy in Pennsylvania.

Utility policy ballot measures

See also: Local utility tax and fees on the ballot

Ballotpedia has not covered any ballot measures relating to local utility tax and fees in Pennsylvania.

Production

The sections below include statistics on total energy production in Pennsylvania, oil and natural gas production in Pennsylvania, oil and gas production in Pennsylvania over time (2004-2014), and oil and gas production on federal land, including the amount of federal land leased in Pennsylvania for production.

Total energy production

The table below provides information regarding energy production in Pennsylvania in British thermal units (Btu). A British thermal unit is used to measure the heat contained in different fuels. The U.S. Department of Energy defines a Btu as "the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of liquid water by 1 degree Fahrenheit." Fuels are discussed in terms of Btu to compare fuels with different energy content and prices. For example, one gallon of gasoline equals 120,524 Btu.

Energy production, 2014 (in billion Btu)
State	Biomass	Coal	Crude oil	Nuclear energy	Natural gas	Renewable	Total*
Pennsylvania	15,680	1,566,449	38,814	823,277	4,473,966	184,888	7,103,074
Maryland		46,194		150,017	21	53,826	250,058
New Jersey				329,533		58,853	388,386
New York	23,378		1,978	450,141	20,827	398,774	895,098
U.S. average	38,759	404,181	307,301	160,980	585,731	187,132	1,684,085
*Total figures were computed by Ballotpedia. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Nonrenewable energy production

The table below provides information regarding nonrenewable energy production in Pennsylvania. For coal data, the phrase productive capacity refers to the maximum amount of coal that could be expected to be produced in 2014. The natural gas and crude oil production data refer to the amounts of natural gas and crude oil produced in December 2014 and April 2016, respectively.

Nonrenewable energy production
State	Coal, productive capacity (short tons)	Natural gas (million cubic feet)	Crude oil (thousand barrels)
Date	2014	December 2014	April 2016
Pennsylvania	67,612,749	367,543	648
Maryland	2,710,927	1
New Jersey
New York		1,716	28
U.S. average	24,874,314	43,350	4,388
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Oil and gas production (2004-2014)

Note: This section provides information about oil and gas production on private and state-owned lands. Information on oil and gas production on federal lands is accessible here.

The graph and table below provide information about crude oil production in Pennsylvania. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparative purposes.

Crude oil production in Pennsylvania and select surrounding states, in thousand barrels
State	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	Percent of total 2014 production	2014 Rank
Pennsylvania	2,396	2,460	2,589	2,788	2,999	2,967	3,655	3,463	4,300	5,246	6,649	0.21%	20
Maryland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%	N/A
New York	170	199	318	382	388	336	378	370	353	313	341	0.01%	26
Ohio	5,783	5,658	5,439	5,155	5,113	4,877	4,756	4,853	5,121	10,199	17,594	0.55%	14
United States	1,991,394	1,891,227	1,857,044	1,853,166	1,830,002	1,952,670	2,000,861	2,060,398	2,377,806	2,722,171	3,180,813	--	--
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Crude Oil Production" Note: The data above are field production data.

The graph and table below provide information about natural gas production in Pennsylvania. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparative purposes.

Natural gas production in Pennsylvania and select surrounding states, in million cubic feet (MMCF)
State	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	Percent of total 2013 production	2013 rank
Pennsylvania	159,827	197,217	168,501	175,950	182,277	198,295	273,869	572,902	1,310,592	2,256,696	3,259,042	10.86%	3
Maryland	48	34	46	48	35	28	43	43	34	44	32	0.0%	31
New York	36,137	46,050	55,180	55,980	54,942	50,320	44,849	35,813	31,124	26,424	23,458	0.08%	22
Ohio	93,641	90,476	83,523	86,315	88,095	84,858	88,824	78,122	78,858	84,482	186,181	0.62%	17
United States	24,118,978	23,969,678	23,456,822	23,535,018	24,663,656	25,636,257	26,056,893	26,816,085	28,479,026	29,542,313	30,005,254	--	--
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production" The data presented above are gross withdrawals in million cubic feet (MMCF). Production data for 2014 were estimated for some, but not all, states; "--" indicates data were not available.

Oil and gas production on federal land

See also: Oil and natural gas extraction on federal land

The federal government leases federally managed land to private individuals and companies for energy development, including crude oil and natural gas drilling, solar energy development, and geothermal energy development. Approximately 166 million acres of federal land were available to be leased for energy development as of December 2014. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for regulating oil and gas drilling on federal lands in the United States.

The table below provides information about oil and natural gas production on federal lands in Pennsylvania in 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Oil and natural gas production on federal land, 2014
State	Oil production (in thousands of barrels)	Natural gas production (in million cubic feet)
Pennsylvania	1	12
Maryland
New Jersey
New York		21
U.S. average	2,976.06	49,996.92
Source: Office of Natural Resource Revenue, "Statistical Information"

Land leased

Private oil and natural gas companies apply for leases from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to develop energy resources on federal lands. After a lease is approved, the company must submit information to the BLM about how it will conduct its drilling and production operations. The BLM also inspects a company’s operations during production.

The table below provides information about oil and gas producing leases and acres on federal lands in Pennsylvania from 2013 to 2015. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Oil and gas producing leases and acres on federal land by state, 2013-2015
State	FY 2015		FY 2014		FY 2013
	Producing leases	Producing acres	Producing leases	Producing acres	Producing leases	Producing acres
Pennsylvania	69	4,758	69	4,761	69	4,761
Maryland
New Jersey
New York	5	1,182	5	1,182	5	1,182
U.S. average	485	257,505	483	258,996	480	262,870
Source: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Oil and Gas Statistics"

Energy usage

The section below includes statistics on electricity consumption in the state by energy type (in 2014).

Consumption

The table below provides information about energy consumption by source in Pennsylvania in 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Energy consumption in Pennsylvania, 2014 (in billion Btu)
State	Coal	Crude oil and petroleum products	Natural gas	Nuclear energy	Solar	Wind	Geothermal	Hydropower	Wood and wood waste	Biomass
Pennsylvania	1,039,161	1,230,104	1,257,090	823,277	4,786	33,901	2,162	25,117	103,241	148,961
Maryland	201,220	484,489	217,440	150,017	4,307	3,078	570	15,364	30,508	53,814
New Jersey	30,731	1,005,558	798,602	329,533	25,722	217	466	164	32,283	67,456
New York	64,655	1,342,030	1,386,580	450,141	8,377	37,740	1,185	248,086	80,009	134,792
U.S. average	359,931	716,746	544,353	172,585	20,739	531,323	16,555	61,397	65,345	101,581
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Prices and taxes

The sections below include information on energy prices and spending in Pennsylvania, fuel taxes and state taxes in Pennsylvania and in neighboring states, and an overview of the federal tax on gasoline.

Energy prices

The price of electricity is affected by supply and demand. The supply of electricity is affected by fuel prices, environmental and energy regulations, power plant capacity, weather, and other factors. Demand for electricity also affects the price. Because electricity cannot be stored for long periods of time, it must be produced and used when it is needed. As demand for electricity increases, the price also generally increases.

The table below provides information about energy prices in Pennsylvania as of April 2016. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Note: In comparing dollar amounts across the states, it is important to note that the cost of living can from state to state and within a state. The amounts given on this page have not been adjusted to reflect these differences. For more information on "regional price disparities" and the Consumer Price Index, see the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Energy prices in Pennsylvania
State	Natural gas Dollars per thousand cubic foot	Electricity Cents per kilowatthour
Date	April 2016	April 2016
Pennsylvania	$9.91	10.2
Maryland	$0.00	12.1
New Jersey	$8.99	12.9
New York	$9.90	13.9
U.S. average	$11.20	10.41
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Electricity prices can vary depending on the type of consumer; consumer categories include residential, commercial, industrial, and in some cases, transportation. The rate-making process is both political and economic. The table below presents information about electricity prices by consumer type in Pennsylvania in April 2016. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Electricity prices in Pennsylvania by sector (in cents per kilowatthour)
State	Commercial	Industrial	Residential	Transportation	Average (all sectors)
Date	April 2016	April 2016	April 2016	April 2016	April 2016
Pennsylvania	9.5	6.9	14.3	7.9	9.6
Maryland	11.0	7.9	14.4	8.4	10.4
New Jersey	12.0	9.7	15.5	10.1	11.8
New York	13.8	6.0	17.4	13.0	12.5
U.S. average	10.48	7.45	13.05	10.47	10.36
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Energy spending

The table below provides information about energy spending in Pennsylvania as of 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Energy spending in Pennsylvania, 2014 (in millions of dollar except per capita spending)
State	Petroleum	Coal	Natural gas	Nuclear	Per capita spending
Pennsylvania	$32,754	$3,006	$8,819	$639	$4,351
Maryland	$13,422	$595	$2,151	$109	$3,841
New Jersey	$24,037	$121	$6,047	$250	$4,376
New York	$35,001	$218	$11,638	$342	$3,446
U.S. average	$17,267	$1,322	$3,786	$574	$5,304
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Fuel taxes

Click to enlarge.

Revenue collected by federal, state, and local governments from fuel taxes is usually used to fund transportation infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Some states may charge an excise tax based on how much gas or diesel is purchased. Some states may charge retail tax based on the average price of gas over a certain period. Additionally, some states may charge an environmental tax to be used for environmental projects. The Tax Foundation, which created the map to the right, used data from the American Petroleum Institute, which converted each state's different tax structure into cents per gallon to compare each state's gas taxes. In 2016, gas taxes accounted for 23 percent of the price of gasoline. Crude oil accounted for 40 percent of the price of gasoline, refining accounted for 24 percent of the price, and distribution and marketing accounted for 13 percent of the remainder.

The table below provides information about state fuel taxes by type (excluding the federal gas taxes) in Pennsylvania as of January 2016. As of January 2016, Pennsylvania levied a 50.4 cent state gasoline tax and a 65.1 cent state diesel tax. Pennsylvania ranked the highest in total gasoline taxes (federal and state) and the highest in total diesel fuel taxes as of January 2016.

State motor fuel taxes in cents per gallon, January 2016
State	State gasoline tax	Total gasoline tax	Rank	State diesel tax	Total diesel tax	Rank
Pennsylvania	50.4	68.8	1	65.1	89.5	1
Maryland	32.6	51.0	13	33.4	57.8	15
New Jersey	14.5	32.9	49	17.5	41.9	46
New York	42.6	61.0	3	42.1	66.5	4
U.S. average	30.29	48.69	N/A	30.01	54.41	N/A
Source: American Petroleum Institute, "Motor Fuel Taxes"

Federal tax

The first federal tax on gasoline was proposed by Secretary of the Treasury Ogden L. Mills under President Herbert Hoover (R) as a revenue generating measure to balance the budget during the Great Depression. A 1-cent tax per gallon of imported gasoline and fuel oil was passed as part of the Revenue Act of 1932 and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D). The 1-cent tax continued until 1951 when the tax was increased to 2 cents in part to raise revenue during the Korean War. In 1956, the tax was raised to 3 cents to fund the Interstate Highway System. During this time, the Highway Trust Fund was created as a means to fund highway construction. Since 1956, there have been increases to the tax. As of April 2016, the gas tax was last raised by President Bill Clinton (D) in 1993 to 18.4 cents per gallon.

Utilities

The sections below include general information on utilities, an overview of utilities and electricity markets, information on the types of utilities in Pennsylvania, an overview of electricity reliability organizations (EROs), and the EROs that oversee electricity in Pennsylvania.

Background

Utilities are firms that own and/or operate facilities to generate, transmit, and/or distribute electricity, gas, and/or water to the public. Electric utilities are commercial entities that own and operate facilities to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity to the public and/or the industrial sector. State and local regulators oversee transmission and distribution charges. Local utilities read electric meters and bill individuals or businesses, generally on a monthly basis.

Utilities are defined differently in each state and in federal legislation. Two general types of utilities are private and public utilities. Private utilities, commonly known as investor-owned utilities, provide stocks to investors and sell bonds. These utilities are regulated by state regulatory agencies. State agencies are also responsible for setting retail rates charged by investor-owned utilities, overseeing utility infrastructure, and ensuring that investor-owned utilities respond to customer service demands. Public utilities include government or municipally owned utilities. Another type of utility is an electric cooperative. Cooperatives are nonprofit businesses voluntarily owned and managed by the individuals and businesses that use their services. They are commonly used in rural areas that do not have access to a larger state or region-wide electric grid.

Electricity markets

Electricity markets in each state are defined as regulated or deregulated. A regulated market includes utilities that own and manage the power plants that generate the electricity, the electricity transmission lines, and the distribution equipment (such as wires and electric poles). In addition, the utilities rates are approved and regulated by local and state agencies. A deregulated market requires utilities to divest ownership in the generation and transmission of electricity. In this market, utilities oversee the interconnection from a meter at a household or business to the power grid and is responsible for billing ratepayers.

Depending on the state and/or area, public utilities may provide most or all energy services to homes and businesses, or a state may allow other private electricity providers to transmit and distribute electricity in addition to other utilities. For example, one type of private provider is a retail energy provider, which sells electricity in areas with retail competition. The provider purchases wholesale electricity and the delivery services (such as transmission lines) and can price electricity to particular consumers.

As of February 2017, Pennsylvania was one of 10 states with a deregulated electricity market. The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over 11 electric distribution companies, which are responsible for the transmission of electricity in the state. The commission does not regulate electric cooperatives or most publicly owned municipal utilities, though it licenses all electric power suppliers, which generate and provide electricity for consumers in Pennsylvania. A list of electric power suppliers in Pennsylvania can be accessed here.

Electric reliability organizations

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to designate an electric reliability organization (ERO) for the United States. An ERO oversees the reliability of a nation's electric grid. In 2006, FERC granted authority to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to develop and enforce grid reliability standards for the United States. NERC, a self-regulated nonprofit corporation, is authorized to enforce grid reliability standards for all users, owners, and operators of the U.S. electrical system.

NERC works with eight regional reliability organizations to oversee the U.S. electrical system. These organizations, known as regional entities, are composed of officials from investor-owned utilities, federal power agencies, electric cooperatives, and state and municipal utilities. Regional entities enforce NERC and regional reliability standards. Further, they forecast electricity demand and coordinate operations with other regional entities.

Pennsylvania EROs

As of February 2017, ReliabilityFirst was the NERC-affiliated nonprofit corporation that oversees electric service reliability in Pennsylvania. NERC authorized ReliabilityFirst as an ERO in July 2006. The corporation is responsible for developing electricity reliability standards, monitoring compliance by owners and users of the bulk electric system, and issuing seasonal and long-term assessments of bulk electric system reliability in the region.

Background

The sections below include an overview of the types of renewable and nonrenewable energy produced and consumed in the United States, an energy profile of Pennsylvania (from the U.S. Energy Information Administration), a general profile of Pennsylvania (from the 2016 edition of the Almanac of American Politics), and various economic indicators in Pennsylvania.

Background on energy resources

Nonrenewable energy sources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas (sometimes known as fossil fuels), and renewable sources, such as hydropower, wind, biofuels, and solar energy, are produced in each state, though at different levels depending on a state's geography, energy consumption, and the raw materials available in a particular state. For example, several states do not have coal, oil, and/or natural gas resources. States that lack these resources import these fuels.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, oil, coal, and natural gas comprise the majority of the resources used to generate power in the United States. In 2014, the top five energy-producing states were the top five fossil fuel-producing states—Texas, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and West Virginia. These states' fossil fuel production accounted for approximately 42 percent of U.S. energy production in 2014. States with fewer coal, oil, and natural gas resources generally consume less energy. In 2014, the bottom five energy-producing states—Rhode Island, Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Hampshire—produced 0.2 percent of U.S. energy and consumed approximately 2 percent of total U.S. energy.

The production of biofuels (liquid fuels created from plant or plant-derived materials) is generally concentrated in the Midwest—states such as Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota) given the region's agricultural production of crops such as corn, which is used to make ethanol, a biofuel that can be blended with gasoline and used as a transportation fuel.

Other renewable sources are used to generate power in the states include hydroelectric power, which accounted for about half of all renewable energy production in the United States in 2014.

Pennsylvania energy profile

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Pennsylvania is a leading East Coast supplier of coal, natural gas, nuclear power, and refined petroleum products to its own industries and to the nation." Pipelines from oil refineries in Pennsylvania deliver petroleum products throughout Pennsylvania and to western New York. As of 2015, around 20 percent of Pennsylvania households used fuel oil for home heating.

In 2015, natural gas production in Pennsylvania was eight times larger than production in 2010. This occurred primarily due to energy development in the Marcellus Shale. In 2015, Pennsylvania was the second-largest natural gas producer after Texas. Additionally, Pennsylvania was second to Texas in proved natural gas reserves in 2015.

As of 2015, Pennsylvania was one of the five-largest coal producing states. Coal in Pennsylvania is used to generate electricity and to produce materials during steelmaking. Around 83 percent of coal consumed in the state was used to generate electricity. The remaining coal was used in the steelmaking industry.

In 2015, Pennsylvania was third after Texas and Florida in electricity generation, though per capita electricity consumption in Pennsylvania was below the national average. As of February 2016, Pennsylvania was a net exporter of electricity. Approximately 4 percent of Pennsylvania's net electricity generation came from renewable energy sources, primarily from hydroelectric power, biomass, and wind energy, as of 2014.

State profile

Demographic data for Pennsylvania
	Pennsylvania	U.S.
Total population:	12,791,904	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	44,743	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	81.6%	73.6%
Black/African American:	11%	12.6%
Asian:	3.1%	5.1%
Native American:	0.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.1%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	6.4%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	89.2%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	28.6%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$53,599	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	15.9%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Pennsylvania. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania voted for the Democratic candidate in five out of the six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, three are located in Pennsylvania, accounting for 1.46 percent of the total pivot counties.

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Pennsylvania had one Retained Pivot County and two Boomerang Pivot Counties, accounting for 0.55 and 8.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Pennsylvania coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Pennsylvania
• United States congressional delegations from Pennsylvania
• Public policy in Pennsylvania
• Endorsers in Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania fact checks
• More...

Economic indicators

See also: Economic indicators by state

Pennsylvania's GDP increased by 1.8 percent in 2014. Click the image to view a larger version.

Broadly defined, a healthy economy is typically one that has a "stable and strong rate of economic growth" (gross state product, in this case) and low unemployment, among many other factors. The economic health of a state can significantly affect its healthcare costs, insurance coverage, access to care, and citizens' physical and mental health. For instance, during economic downturns, employers may reduce insurance coverage for employees while those who are laid off may lose coverage altogether. Individuals also tend to spend less on non-urgent care or postpone visits to the doctor when times are hard. These changes, in turn, may affect the decisions made by policymakers as they react to shifts in the industry. Additionally, a person's socioeconomic status has profound effects on their access to care and the quality of care received.

Most Pennsylvania residents earned incomes above 400 percent of the federal poverty level in 2013, with a median annual income of $52,481. The state's unemployment rate was similar to the national rate at 5.7 percent.

Note: Gross state product (GSP) on its own is not necessarily an indicator of economic health; GSP may also be influenced by state population size. Many factors must be looked at together to assess state economic health.

Various economic indicators by state
State	Distribution of population by FPL* (2013)				Median annual income (2011-2013)	Unemployment rate		Total GSP (2013)†
	Under 100%	100-199%	200-399%	400%+		Sept. 2013	Sept. 2014
Pennsylvania	13%	17%	30%	40%	$52,481	7.3%	5.7%	$644,915
Maryland	10%	16%	28%	46%	$69,518	6.5%	6.3%	$342,382
New York	15%	20%	26%	39%	$51,962	7.5%	6.2%	$1,310,712
Ohio	14%	21%	33%	32%	$46,672	7.4%	5.6%	$565,272
United States	15%	19%	30%	36%	$52,047	7.2%	5.9%	$16,701,415
* Federal Poverty Level. "The U.S. Census Bureau's poverty threshold for a family with two adults and one child was $18,751 in 2013. This is the official measurement of poverty used by the Federal Government." † Median annual household income, 2011-2013. ‡ In millions of current dollars. "Gross State Product is a measurement of a state's output; it is the sum of value added from all industries in the state." Source: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, "State Health Facts"

See also

• Energy policy in the U.S.
• Fracking in Pennsylvania
• Net metering
• Renewable Portfolio Standard
• Environmental policy in Pennsylvania

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Pennsylvania energy policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Energy policy in Pennsylvania, 2004-2017 - Google News