Evergreen States Program Welcomes Governor Shapiro's Re-election

Governor Josh Shapiro defeated State Treasurer Stacy Garrity on Tuesday to win a second term in Pennsylvania’s corner office, capping a race in which the cost of power sat at the center of the debate.

The re-election matters well beyond the governor’s mansion. Pennsylvania’s electricity demand is climbing as data centers multiply across the state, and who pays for that new power — ratepayers or the tech companies driving it — has become one of the defining pocketbook questions of the Shapiro era.

Josh Shapiro addresses supporters after projected win in Pennsylvania governor's race

A message from the polls on energy bills

In a statement released after the results, Evergreen States Program Vice President Eric Miller said voters across the commonwealth sent a strong message: now is not the time to go backwards, and Pennsylvania’s energy future must expand cheap, clean energy. Miller congratulated Shapiro on his hard-earned re-election victory and argued that federal prioritization of big tech billionaire profits has left states on the hook to protect ratepayers from steadily rising energy bills.

“Voters across the commonwealth sent a strong message at the polls: now is not the time to go backwards, Pennsylvania’s energy future must expand cheap, clean energy. Congratulations to Governor Shapiro on his hard-earned re-election victory. Federal prioritization of big tech billionaire profits have left states on the hook to protect ratepayers from steadily-rising energy bills. Governor Shapiro has risen to the challenge with decisive action to ensure data centers pay their own energy bills and codify air and water protections. We look forward to continuing to work with Governor Shapiro in his second term to take on the affordability and climate crises through expanded cheap, clean energy in Pennsylvania.” — Eric Miller, Vice President, Evergreen States Program

The stakes are concrete. Every new server farm that plugs into the grid adds load, and without a clear rule about who pays, the added cost can land on residential bills. Shapiro’s second-term mandate, as his supporters describe it, is to keep expanding lower-cost, cleaner generation so that Pennsylvania can meet that demand without pushing families’ utility payments higher.

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For Garrity, the loss closes out a campaign that put a different vision for the state’s energy and fiscal future before voters. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro defeated State Treasurer Stacy Garrity to secure a second term, with voters signaling support for his actions on energy affordability and codifying air and water protections.

Looking ahead, Miller said the Evergreen States Program expects to keep working with Shapiro through his second term, pressing the combined agenda of affordability and climate action through expanded cheap, clean energy. With the election settled, the fight in Harrisburg now shifts from winning votes to delivering the cheaper, cleaner grid that voters said they wanted.