Electrons are the lifeblood of modern society — and right now, America is bleeding them. From data centers and electric vehicles to industrial production, our demand for electricity is an ever expanding pie. Yet partisan disagreement and regulatory gearlock have left us short on generation just when we need it most. Have you been shocked by the increase of your electric bill?

In Pennsylvania and across the PJM grid, wholesale capacity prices have surged since 2024. It’s not some abstract market shift — this means higher utility bills, jobs at risk and communities struggling to stay afloat.

The common Pennsylvanian is paying the price for lack of generation. While Washington and Harrisburg argue over which energy source is more virtuous, the bills keep climbing and the lights grow dimmer as ratepayer pockets deplete, faster than ever.

The solution isn’t choosing sides — it’s thinking like electrons.

Electrons don’t care whether they’re born in a solar panel, a nuclear reactor, or a gas turbine. They care about movement, about powering what matters. And that’s exactly how our elected officials need to think: pro-generation, pro-afforability, pro-opportunity.

Pennsylvania has an unmatched advantage if we have the courage to use it. We can export liquefied natural gas, expand nuclear baseload, install solar across marginal farmlands, rooftops, reclaimed mine lands, and deploy utility scale battery storage that arbitrages to keep the grid stable. Every one of these technologies contributes to energy security — and to jobs right here in the Commonwealth.

Energy development is not the enemy of rural Pennsylvania — it’s our next economic lifeline. When handled right, it builds tax revenue, strengthens local schools, funds first responders, and keeps our power local, like it was when we started out. We are the Keystone state for a reason. Lets continue holding the foundation stones of energy stable.

Every electron matters. And it’s time our leaders started acting like they know it.

Former State Representative for the 80th District, Jim Gregory lives in Hollidaysburg and is the director of Conservative Energy Network Pennsylvania.