We Can Transform Our Energy Challenge Into a Growth Opportunity

Pennsylvania stands at a crossroads. Our region faces an unprecedented challenge—and opportunity—regarding energy. PJM, which manages the regional transmission grid, forecasts a 40-gigawatt shortfall in generation capacity by 2030. If we don’t act decisively, rolling blackouts and economic disruption are not just possibilities—they’re inevitable.

The shortfall stems from a mix of retiring coal and gas plants, surging demand from data centers and new industries, and a slow pace of new generation capacity coming online. As leaders in energy, manufacturing, and technology, we must ask ourselves: Will we seize this moment to build a sustainable, resilient, and competitive energy future, or will we let bureaucratic inertia and fragmented efforts drag us into crisis?

The Allegheny Conference on Community Development’s answer is clear: We need to act now. To do so, we need leaders from across the energy ecosystem to come together and put aside their individual agendas to do what is best for the region. That’s just what the Conference’s Energy Policy Committee has done. The committee, chaired by Duquesne Light Company CEO Kevin Walker and comprised of leaders from across the energy ecosystem, recently laid out a bold, actionable roadmap to not just rise to the challenge but to emerge from it as a global leader. That roadmap outlines four key pillars, calling for:

· A rapid-response energy task force with bipartisan engagement.

· Streamlined siting and permitting processes.

· Competitive incentives.

· Openness to question status quo and explore new solutions.

Our plan recognizes that the challenge is multifaceted. We can’t rely solely on market forces to address a shortfall of this magnitude. We need a proactive policy. Regulatory reforms must enable rapid deployment of new generation, including next generation nuclear reactors, renewable energy paired with storage, and advanced natural gas solutions.

Our region has long been a global energy leader. From the birth of the commercial nuclear industry in Shippingport to today’s advanced natural gas operations, we’ve proven we can innovate and adapt. Westinghouse built the nuclear energy industry here in our region, and today, they are reinventing it through advanced nuclear technologies. CNX is pioneering solutions to achieve ultra-low carbon energy from natural gas by blending in fugitive and remediated mine gas. This isn’t just cleanup—it’s an opportunity to create new industries and jobs.

We can’t let regulatory delays, outdated permitting processes, or a lack of coordination between state and local governments hold us back. Our competitors—states like Texas, Virginia, Ohio, and Georgia — are moving fast to attract data centers and advanced manufacturing by offering streamlined processes and aggressive incentives. If we don’t match that urgency, we risk losing not just jobs and investment but our leadership position in energy innovation.

The stakes are high. Rolling blackouts would devastate our economy and tarnish our reputation as a center of industry. But this challenge is also an opportunity. By acting now, we can position southwestern Pennsylvania as a hub for sustainable, reliable energy—powering data centers, attracting global investment, and creating thousands of good-paying jobs. This isn’t just about keeping the lights on: it’s about securing our future.

The path forward is clear: Build new capacity now with today’s assets and technologies, while actively seeding tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Advanced nuclear, natural gas, and renewables with industrial scale storage all have roles to play. But we need policy frameworks that support rapid action and wholistic approach. We need a state-level task force empowered to cut through red tape, align stakeholders, and accelerate projects. We need incentives that reflect the true value of reliable, affordable, and uninterrupted energy.

The clock is ticking. We have less than five years to put solutions in place before the 2030 shortfall hits. If we get this right, we can turn crisis into opportunity, transforming southwestern Pennsylvania into a model for the nation and the world. Let’s not wait for the lights to go out to take action. Let’s build the future we want—starting now.