Under President Trump, Pennsylvania is Finally Positioned for Energy Boom

Pennsylvania is one of the states best positioned to benefit from President Trump's commitment to unleash domestic energy development. 

Even though the state has been under Democratic control, it has resisted the national push to gut fossil fuels and nuclear power in favor of “green energy” sources like Solar and Wind. Such “renewable energy” only provides 3% of total electrical generation in the state.

Three quarters of Pennsylvania’s population favors expanded energy production, and particularly natural gas production.  This was a key factor in the 2024 election of the Republican Dave McCormick to the U.S. Senate. 

The natural gas industry guarantees significant stable employment for Pennsylvania workers, as the state is the second largest producer in the country. Natural gas generates 54% of Pennsylvania’s electricity.  It is also the biggest exporter of electricity in the United States, especially to neighboring Eastern States. Increased investment in the Marcellus Shale region could produce close to 300,000 new natural gas jobs and massive new revenue for the state government.   

Ironically, Pennsylvania has no Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) export capacity. A 2022 state legislative committee was established to explore the development of an LNG export terminal at the Port of Philadelphia, before Biden halted LNG export licenses in 2024. President Trump's expected imminent lifting of the Biden export ban would put this project on a fast track. Not only would it be a major driver for the revitalization of the Philadelphia Port, but it would create thousands of construction jobs, stimulate national economic growth, and finally, open massive new export markets for our natural gas in Europe.   

While ​Pennsylvania coal production has been on the decline, the state is still the 10th largest producer nationwide. ​Eleven coal-fired power plants have been shut down. But President Trump will overturn Biden’s anti-coal regulations, and these plants should be reopened. 

Pennsylvania’s nuclear power potential is exceptionally well positioned to fulfill President Trump's promise to build “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds” of new power plants in our country. With its current nine reactors in five power plants, the state already ranks second in nuclear capacity in the nation. Commitments are already in process to reopen the Three Mile Island plant, so that nuclear will exceed its current 32% of total electricity generation for the state.  

In July of 2024, the State Legislature relaunched its bipartisan Nuclear Energy Caucus. The caucus is examining the role for Small Modular Reactors in the state, and Pennsylvania State University is specifically examining the eVinci microreactor being developed by Westinghouse. 

​So, this short summary of the potentials available to be tapped in Pennsylvania alone, should encourage optimism within the American population.  Similar potentials exist in other states to be tapped and developed under President Trump's commitment to unleash American System Economics and rebuild our country on modern energy and infrastructure platforms. Of particular note here is West Virginia, where gas from the Marcellus Shale formation already surpasses coal in the state’s energy production.