Governor Shapiro speaks at a podium.
Governor Josh Shapiro presented his 2025-26 budget proposal to the General Assembly on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. Photo: Commonwealth Media Services

Shapiro’s budget proposal includes changes to energy tax breaks, faster permit reviews

    This story comes from our partners at WHYY.

    A central goal of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal is lowering costs for families — including energy costs.

    As part of his more than $51 billion proposal, he’s asking lawmakers to pass an energy agenda he unveiled last week called the “Lightning Plan.”

    “It takes concrete, direct steps to cut energy costs, create jobs, hold down electric bills for families and increase generation in our commonwealth,” Shapiro said during his budget address Tuesday.

    Shapiro’s plan focuses on subsidizing and speeding energy development, including both renewables and fossil fuels, while capping planet-warming carbon emissions from power plants and helping families pay electricity bills and install energy-efficient appliances. Some parts of the plan were already introduced in the legislature last year, but failed to make it through.

    Most of the proposals would be unfunded policies. Shapiro’s budget documents only provide fiscal details for the tax breaks.