Pennsylvania Quick Facts
- Pennsylvania is the nation's second-largest natural gas producer after Texas, with natural gas marketed production in the state totaling almost 7.6 trillion cubic feet in 2023.
- Pennsylvania is the third-largest coal-producing state after Wyoming and West Virginia, and is the fifth-largest coal exporter to foreign markets.
- In 2023, Pennsylvania ranked second after Illinois in electricity generation from nuclear power. However, since 2019 natural gas has surpassed nuclear energy as the largest source of in-state electricity generation.
- Over half of Pennsylvania households use natural gas as their primary home heating fuel, and the state's 49 underground gas storage sites--the most for any state--help meet regional heating demand in winter.
- Pennsylvania is the second-largest net supplier, after Texas, of total energy to other states.
Last Updated: January 16, 2025
Data
Last Update: April 17, 2025 | Next Update: May 15, 2025
Prices | |||||
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Petroleum | Pennsylvania | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
Domestic Crude Oil First Purchase | $ 65.43 /barrel | $ 73.08 /barrel | Jan-25 | ||
Natural Gas | Pennsylvania | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
City Gate | $ 5.00 /thousand cu ft | $ 4.88 /thousand cu ft | Jan-25 | find more | |
Residential | $ 12.52 /thousand cu ft | $ 12.34 /thousand cu ft | Jan-25 | find more | |
Coal | Pennsylvania | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
Average Sales Price | $ 91.71 /short ton | $ 54.04 /short ton | 2023 | ||
Delivered to Electric Power Sector | $ 3.39 /million Btu | $ 2.40 /million Btu | Jan-25 | ||
Electricity | Pennsylvania | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
Residential | 17.58 cents/kWh | 15.95 cents/kWh | Jan-25 | find more | |
Commercial | 11.70 cents/kWh | 12.89 cents/kWh | Jan-25 | find more | |
Industrial | 8.95 cents/kWh | 8.32 cents/kWh | Jan-25 | find more |
Reserves | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reserves | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Crude Oil (as of Dec. 31) | 68 million barrels | 0.1% | 2022 | find more | |
Expected Future Production of Dry Natural Gas (as of Dec. 31) | 106,311 billion cu ft | 15.4% | 2022 | find more | |
Expected Future Production of Natural Gas Plant Liquids | 968 million barrels | 3.0% | 2022 | find more | |
Recoverable Coal at Producing Mines | 979 million short tons | 8.7% | 2023 | find more | |
Rotary Rigs & Wells | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Natural Gas Producing Wells | 68,929 wells | 14.3% | 2020 | find more | |
Capacity | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
Crude Oil Refinery Capacity (as of Jan. 1) | 266,000 barrels/calendar day | 1.4% | 2024 | ||
Electric Power Industry Net Summer Capacity | 48,828 MW | 4.0% | Jan-25 |
Supply & Distribution | |||||
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Production | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Total Energy | 9,951 trillion Btu | 10.1% | 2022 | find more | |
Crude Oil | 10 thousand barrels per day | 0.1% | Jan-25 | find more | |
Natural Gas - Marketed | 7,592,313 million cu ft | 18.4% | 2023 | find more | |
Coal | 42,647 thousand short tons | 7.4% | 2023 | find more | |
Total Utility-Scale Net Electricity Generation | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Total Net Electricity Generation | 24,351 thousand MWh | 6.1% | Jan-25 | ||
Utility-Scale Net Electricity Generation (share of total) | Pennsylvania | U.S. Average | Period | ||
Petroleum-Fired | 0.5 % | 0.7 % | Jan-25 | find more | |
Natural Gas-Fired | 54.6 % | 39.0 % | Jan-25 | find more | |
Coal-Fired | 12.5 % | 20.7 % | Jan-25 | find more | |
Nuclear | 28.6 % | 17.9 % | Jan-25 | find more | |
Renewables | 3.6 % | 21.3 % | Jan-25 | ||
Stocks | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Motor Gasoline (Excludes Pipelines) | -- | -- | Jan-25 | ||
Distillate Fuel Oil (Excludes Pipelines) | 2,211 thousand barrels | 2.4% | Jan-25 | find more | |
Natural Gas in Underground Storage | 542,827 million cu ft | 7.9% | Jan-25 | find more | |
Petroleum Stocks at Electric Power Producers | 1,086 thousand barrels | 5.4% | Jan-25 | find more | |
Coal Stocks at Electric Power Producers | 1,269 thousand tons | 1.1% | Jan-25 | find more | |
Fueling Stations | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
Motor Gasoline | 3,698 stations | 3.4% | 2022 | ||
Propane | 66 stations | 2.7% | Mar-25 | ||
Electric Vehicle Charging Locations | 1,917 stations | 2.7% | Mar-25 | ||
E85 | 173 stations | 3.9% | Mar-25 | ||
Biodiesel, Compressed Natural Gas, and Other Alternative Fuels | 37 stations | 1.0% | Mar-25 |
Consumption & Expenditures | |||||
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Summary | Pennsylvania | U.S. Rank | Period | ||
Total Consumption | 3,737 trillion Btu | 5 | 2022 | find more | |
Total Consumption per Capita | 288 million Btu | 25 | 2022 | find more | |
Total Expenditures | $ 62,889 million | 5 | 2022 | find more | |
Total Expenditures per Capita | $ 4,848 | 34 | 2022 | find more | |
by End-Use Sector | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
Consumption | |||||
» Residential | 881 trillion Btu | 4.5% | 2022 | find more | |
» Commercial | 559 trillion Btu | 3.4% | 2022 | find more | |
» Industrial | 1,445 trillion Btu | 4.7% | 2022 | find more | |
» Transportation | 852 trillion Btu | 3.1% | 2022 | find more | |
Expenditures | |||||
» Residential | $ 15,889 million | 4.8% | 2022 | find more | |
» Commercial | $ 7,348 million | 3.0% | 2022 | find more | |
» Industrial | $ 12,124 million | 4.3% | 2022 | find more | |
» Transportation | $ 27,530 million | 3.2% | 2022 | find more | |
by Source | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
Consumption | |||||
» Petroleum | 225 million barrels | 3.1% | 2022 | find more | |
» Natural Gas | 1,876 billion cu ft | 5.7% | 2023 | find more | |
» Coal | 15,304 thousand short tons | 3.6% | 2023 | find more | |
Expenditures | |||||
» Petroleum | $ 36,211 million | 3.4% | 2022 | find more | |
» Natural Gas | $ 9,979 million | 4.9% | 2023 | find more | |
» Coal | $ 1,360 million | 5.7% | 2023 | find more | |
Consumption for Electricity Generation | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Petroleum | 212 thousand barrels | 4.3% | Jan-25 | find more | |
Natural Gas | 92,138 million cu ft | 8.0% | Jan-25 | find more | |
Coal | 1,579 thousand tons | 3.4% | Jan-25 | find more | |
Energy Source Used for Home Heating (share of households) | Pennsylvania | U.S. Average | Period | ||
Natural Gas | 50.7 % | 46.0 % | 2023 | ||
Fuel Oil | 13.5 % | 3.7 % | 2023 | ||
Electricity | 26.1 % | 41.7 % | 2023 | ||
Propane | 5.2 % | 5.0 % | 2023 | ||
Other/None | 4.5 % | 3.5 % | 2023 |
Environment | |||||
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Renewable Energy Capacity | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Total Renewable Energy Electricity Net Summer Capacity | 3,777 MW | 1.0% | Jan-25 | ||
Ethanol Plant Nameplate Capacity | 128 million gal/year | 0.7% | 2024 | ||
Renewable Energy Production | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Utility-Scale Hydroelectric Net Electricity Generation | 224 thousand MWh | 1.1% | Jan-25 | ||
Utility-Scale Solar, Wind, and Geothermal Net Electricity Generation | 522 thousand MWh | 0.9% | Jan-25 | ||
Utility-Scale Biomass Net Electricity Generation | 122 thousand MWh | 3.1% | Jan-25 | ||
Small-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Generation | 60 thousand MWh | 1.1% | Jan-25 | ||
Fuel Ethanol Production | 2,812 thousand barrels | 0.8% | 2022 | ||
Renewable Energy Consumption | Pennsylvania | U.S. Rank | Period | find more | |
Renewable Energy Consumption as a Share of State Total | 4.9 % | 41 | 2022 | ||
Fuel Ethanol Consumption | 10,781 thousand barrels | 8 | 2022 | ||
Total Emissions | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Carbon Dioxide | 213.5 million metric tons | 4.3% | 2022 | ||
Electric Power Industry Emissions | Pennsylvania | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Carbon Dioxide | 70,207 thousand metric tons | 4.6% | 2023 | ||
Sulfur Dioxide | 26 thousand metric tons | 3.1% | 2023 | ||
Nitrogen Oxide | 31 thousand metric tons | 2.8% | 2023 |
Analysis
Last Updated: January 16, 2025
Overview
Known as the Keystone State, Pennsylvania is a leading East Coast supplier of natural gas, coal, refined petroleum products, and electricity to the nation. 1,2 Pennsylvania shares borders with six states—New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio—and Lake Erie to the northwest.3 The Appalachian Mountains run diagonally southwest to northeast through Pennsylvania, dividing the Ohio River valley in the west from the Susquehanna and Delaware River valleys in the east.4 These mountains and valleys hold rich coal reserves.5 The Marcellus Shale, the largest U.S. natural gas field, follows the arc of the mountains and underlies about 60% of Pennsylvania, all but the southeastern part of the state.6,7 The state's temperate climate varies from the southeast, where it is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, to cooler areas near the Great Lakes in the northwest, where weather fronts with frigid temperatures that trigger heavy lake-effect snowfalls often come from Canada.8
Pennsylvania ranks fifth in the nation in population, but 48 out of 67 counties in the state are classified as rural.9,10 About one-fourth of the state's residents live in rural areas, while much of the state's population is concentrated around Philadelphia in the southeast corner of the state and Pittsburgh in the southwest near the border with Ohio.11,12
Pennsylvania is the second-largest net supplier of energy to other states.
The state is among the top 10 consumers of natural gas, petroleum products, nuclear energy, and coal, and is the second-largest net supplier of energy to other states after Texas.13,14 Pennsylvania's GDP ranked sixth among the states in 2023.15 The largest contributors to the state's economy are the finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing sectors, which make up 19% of the state's GDP, followed by the professional and business services sectors with 14%.16 Pennsylvania's total energy consumption per capita is just above the U.S. average and about at the midpoint of the states.17 The industrial sector leads energy consumption in Pennsylvania, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the state's total energy use. The residential and transportation sectors each account for about one-fourth of state energy consumption, and the commercial sector uses the rest.18 Pennsylvania's major energy-consuming industries that contribute significantly to the state's GDP include chemical products manufacturing; natural gas and oil extraction; mining; food and beverage processing; and metals and machinery manufacturing.19
Natural gas
Pennsylvania is second only to Texas in estimated total proved natural gas reserves. The state's proved reserves almost tripled from 2012 to 2022 because of increased natural gas development in the Marcellus Shale.20,21 The Marcellus formation extends under three-fifths of Pennsylvania as well as parts of West Virginia, New York, Ohio, and Maryland.22 The Marcellus Shale has the largest estimated proved reserves of any U.S. natural gas field.23 In 2022, Pennsylvania had about 105 trillion cubic feet in proved shale natural gas reserves, the second-largest in the nation after Texas.24
Pennsylvania is the second-largest natural gas-producing state, reaching almost 7.6 trillion cubic feet in 2023.
In 2023, Pennsylvania's annual marketed natural gas production accounted for about one-fifth of total U.S. gas output, making it the second-largest natural gas producer in the nation, after Texas.25,26 In 2023, Pennsylvania's marketed natural gas production reached a new high of almost 7.6 trillion cubic feet, due primarily to improving well productivity.27,28
Pennsylvania uses only about one-fourth of the natural gas it produces.29,30 Several pipeline projects in recent years have enabled Marcellus natural gas producers to reach additional markets, and additional pipeline projects are planned or currently under construction. In July 2024, the Regional Energy Access Expansion pipeline came online, adding 829 million cubic feet per day of new shipping capacity.31,32,33,34 Most of the natural gas shipped by pipeline from Pennsylvania goes to New Jersey, Ohio, Maryland, New York, and West Virginia. The state also receives natural gas via pipeline from West Virginia and New York.35 Pennsylvania has 49 underground natural gas storage facilities, the most of any state, which help meet regional heating demand in the winter.36 The state's total natural gas storage capacity is the fourth largest in the nation at about 763 billion cubic feet.37
Pennsylvania is also experiencing growth in the production of natural gas plant liquids, including ethane and propane.38,39,40 The state's natural gas processing plants produced almost five times more natural gas in 2023 as in 2013.41 Natural gas producers are building natural gas processing plants and pipelines to extract and transport higher-priced natural gas plant liquids to domestic and Canadian markets and to ports on the East Coast and the Gulf Coast for export.42,43,44,45,46 Pennsylvania and the northeast's first ethane cracker, located near Pittsburgh, completed construction in 2022 and produces feedstocks for plastics manufacturing.47,48
In 2023, the electric power sector consumed three-fifths of the natural gas delivered to consumers in the state. The industrial sector accounted for one-sixth and the residential sector about one-seventh of the state's total natural gas use, and the commercial sector consumed about one-tenth.49 Over half of Pennsylvania households use natural gas as their primary heating fuel.50
Coal
Pennsylvania is the third-largest coal-producing state and is home to the tenth- largest U.S. coal mine.
Pennsylvania is the third-largest coal-producing state in the nation, after Wyoming and West Virginia, and coal has been mined in the state since the late 1700s. The state has substantial reserves of bituminous coal, which is used to generate electricity and to produce coke for steelmaking.51,52 The Bailey Mine, located in southwestern Pennsylvania near the West Virginia border, is the 10th largest U.S. coal mine.53 Northeastern Pennsylvania has all the nation's anthracite coal production, but anthracite accounts for only about 7% of the state's total coal production.54,55 Anthracite, which has a higher heat content than other types of coal and burns with little soot, is primarily used by the metals industry.56 The number of coal mines and amount of coal production in Pennsylvania has generally declined as less electricity has been generated from coal in the state and nationwide, while renewable and natural gas-fired generation increased.57,58
Pennsylvania is a major coal consumer, ranking 10th among the states in total coal use. About two-thirds of the coal consumed in the state is burned for electricity generation, and the rest is used for steelmaking and other industrial applications. However, coal consumption for electricity generation in the state declined by 33% in 2023.59 Although the amounts are small, more Pennsylvania households use coal for home heating than any other state.60 Large volumes of coal are moved by rail, barge, and truck into and out of Pennsylvania and around the state. In 2023, 77% of Pennsylvania-mined coal that was used domestically was burned for electricity generation and 13% of that coal was used at Pennsylvania power plants. The rest was transported to generating facilities in 14 other states.61 Pennsylvania was the fifth-largest coal-exporting state in 2023, with nearly one-tenth of the state's coal exported to other nations, a decline from nearly one-third in 2021.62
Petroleum
Pennsylvania, site of the first U.S. commercial oil well in 1859, has few economically recoverable crude oil reserves today but continues to produce modest amounts of crude oil—mainly paraffin-rich crude oil used for making lubricants.63,64,65,66 Pennsylvania was once home to nearly half the East Coast's refining capacity, with four petroleum refineries that could jointly process about 600,000 barrels of crude oil per calendar day.67 However, after an explosion and fire in June 2019 at one of the refineries—the largest refinery on the East Coast—it was shut down permanently.68,69 One large refinery in the Philadelphia area continues to process about 190,000 barrels of crude oil per day into jet fuel, motor gasoline, diesel fuel, and heating oil.70,71 Two other small refineries are located in northwestern Pennsylvania. One processes crude oil into motor gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, and several grades of asphalt, while the other refinery processes crude oil from Pennsylvania and neighboring states into motor gasoline, distillate fuel oil, waxes, and specialty products like resin blends and camping fuel.72,73 These three petroleum refineries have the capacity to process 266,000 barrels of crude oil per calendar day, equivalent to about three-tenths of the East Coast's refining capacity.74 In addition to petroleum products from local refineries, Pennsylvania receives gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel via the 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline that moves refined petroleum products from the Texas Gulf Coast to 11 southern and Mid-Atlantic states.75
The transportation sector is the largest petroleum consumer in Pennsylvania, consuming two-thirds of the state total, and about half of which is motor gasoline.76,77 To reduce emissions of smog-forming pollutants, the state requires motorists to use reformulated motor gasoline blended with ethanol in the heavily populated areas of southeastern Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia.78,79 Pennsylvania's one ethanol production plant is the largest on the East Coast and has a capacity of about 128 million gallons per year.80 The state ranks eighth in annual fuel ethanol consumption of about 453 million gallons.81 Pennsylvania also has two biodiesel manufacturing plants that combined can produce 64 million gallons annually.82 The state is the eighth-largest biodiesel-consuming state at nearly 52 million gallons.83
The residential sector accounts for 8% of Pennsylvania's petroleum consumption.84 About one in five state households rely on petroleum products, mostly heating oil or propane, for home heating.85 The state, like much of the U.S. Northeast, is vulnerable to heating oil shortages and price spikes. In 2000, the federal government created the 1-million-barrel Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve to offset heating fuel supply disruptions in Pennsylvania and other Northeast states.86,87
Electricity
Pennsylvania is the third-largest producer of electricity in the nation and sends the most electricity to other states.
Pennsylvania is the third-largest producer of electricity in the nation. Only Texas and Florida generate more.88 Electricity generation regularly exceeds Pennsylvania's power consumption, and the state sends more electricity outside its borders over the regional electric grid than any other state. Pennsylvania is part of the PJM (Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland) Interconnection regional transmission organization, which manages the electric grid in all or parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia.89,90,91 The residential sector is the largest consumer of electricity in Pennsylvania, accounting for about two-fifths of the state total. About one in four Pennsylvania households use electricity as their primary heating source.92,93 The industrial sector is the second largest, accounting for more than one-third, followed by the commercial sector at one-fourth. A small amount of electricity is used in the transportation sector for public railways.94
With a 59% share in 2023, natural gas-fired power plants were the largest provider of Pennsylvania's in-state electricity generation for the fifth consecutive year and continued to widen the gap over nuclear power.95 Pennsylvania ranks second in the nation, after Illinois, in nuclear energy generation, accounting for one-tenth of the nation's nuclear energy generation.96 The state's four nuclear power plants provided 32% of the state's electricity net generation in 2023.97,98 In 2023, the four largest power plants in Pennsylvania by capacity and generation were nuclear.99 Shippingport, Pennsylvania, was the site of the first commercial U.S. nuclear power plant, which came online in 1957, and operated for nearly 30 years.100 The state also had the nation's most serious nuclear power accident, a partial core meltdown at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 reactor in 1979. That accident led to sweeping changes in U.S. nuclear regulation and operating standards.101 The Unit 1 reactor at the Three Mile Island plant was shut down in September 2019 because it was unprofitable.102,103 However, the operator of Unit 1 is looking to restart the reactor in 2028 after signing a 20-year power purchase agreement to supply the grid with electricity to power data centers.104,105
Coal-fired power plants were the third-largest providers of in-state electricity in 2023.106 Many of Pennsylvania's coal-fired power plants have retired due to the increased availability and competitive price of natural gas.107 In 2013, coal provided 39% of the state's electricity net generation and natural gas accounted for 22%. By 2023, coal declined to 5% of the state's net generation and natural gas increased to 59%.108 About 4,500 megawatts of the state's coal-fired net summer generating capacity retired between 2018 and 2023. During the same period, about 8,900 megawatts of natural gas-fired capacity came online.109 Pennsylvania's largest coal-fired power plant, the 1,888-megawatt Homer City Generating Station, closed in 2023 after operating for 54 years.110 Renewables—mainly wind energy, hydropower, biomass, and solar energy—provide most of state's remaining net generation.111
In November 2024, Pennsylvania had about 1,900 public electric vehicle charging locations, ranking ninth in the nation.112 In 2023, Pennsylvania had just over 101,000 battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles registered, ranking 13th in the nation.113 In July 2024, Pennsylvania passed a law imposing a $200 fee to register battery electric vehicles starting in 2025, as battery electric vehicles do not pay gasoline taxes, which fund road maintenance.114
Renewable energy
In 2023, wind energy was Pennsylvania’s largest source of renewable electricity generation.
In 2023, renewable energy sources generated nearly 4% of Pennsylvania's in-state electricity. Wind energy was the state's largest renewable source for electricity generation for the fourth year in a row and provided 36% of the state's renewable electricity in 2023.115 However, this was a decline from 40% the previous year, primarily due to slower wind speeds.116 The greatest wind resources for commercial power generation are found on the state's Appalachian Mountain crests—mainly in Pennsylvania's southwest but also in the northeast—and along the state's Lake Erie shoreline.117 Somerset County leads with 448 megawatts of installed wind capacity, followed by Cambria, Wyoming, Schuylkill, and Bradford counties.118 As of mid-2024, the state had 27 operating wind farms with almost 1,550 megawatts of generating capacity. The state's newest wind farm is the Sandy Ridge Wind 2 project with a generating capacity of 88 megawatts, which came online in September 2023.119
Hydropower accounted for three-tenths of Pennsylvania's renewable generation in 2023.120 The state's conventional hydroelectric facilities are, on average, about 60 years old, and no new hydroelectric facilities have come online in Pennsylvania since 2014.121,122 With over 83,000 miles of rivers and streams and numerous nonpowered dams, Pennsylvania has the potential to add more than 600 megawatts of hydropower generation capacity.123,124 At the end of 2023, Pennsylvania had almost 2,500 megawatts of hydroelectric generating capacity. About 84 megawatts of new hydropower generating capacity is expected to come online by the end of 2028.125 Pennsylvania has two pumped storage hydropower plants, one with 1,058 megawatts of generating capacity and another with 433 megawatts of capacity.126 Pumped-storage hydroelectric plants generate electricity during peak demand periods, when power prices are higher, using water pumped into an elevated storage reservoir during off-peak periods and then releasing it to flow back to a lower reservoir through turbine generators when additional power is needed.127
Pennsylvania ranks among the top dozen states in the amount of electricity generated from biomass resources, and biomass-fueled facilities accounted for about 18% of the state's renewable generation in 2023.128,129 Municipal solid waste and landfill gas fuel most of the state's biomass facilities.130 Pennsylvania's biomass resources from wood and forest byproducts also provide feedstock for the state's eight wood pellet manufacturing plants, which have a combined production capacity of about 386,000 tons per year.131 Wood pellets are used for generating electricity and for heating.132
Solar energy, including both utility-scale (1 megawatt or larger) and small-scale (less than 1 megawatt) solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, produced about 16% of the state's total renewable electricity in 2023. Two counties, Franklin and Lancaster, account for about one-fourth of installed solar capacity in Pennsylvania.133,134 In 2023, about three-fourths of the state's solar generation came from small-scale generating systems, such as rooftop solar panels.135 In 2023, Pennsylvania became one of 14 states with more than 1 gigawatt (1,000 megawatts) of solar generation from small-scale PV installations.136 The state's largest solar farm, Great Cove Solar, with 150 megawatts of generating capacity, is located about 70 miles west of Pittsburgh and came online in 2023.137 Another 557 megawatts of solar power generating capacity is scheduled to be operational by 2026.138
In 2004, Pennsylvania established an alternative energy portfolio standard (AEPS), which required alternative energy resources to generate at least 18% of the state's electricity retail sales by 2021 and every year after that, with at least 0.5% coming from solar power.139 As of mid-2023, slightly more than 18% of the electricity sold to customers in the state was generated by alternative energy resources. Electricity suppliers met this goal by both generating renewable electricity and purchasing alternative energy credits. The requirement will be maintained in perpetuity or until the AEPS Act is amended.140 Among the alternative energy sources Pennsylvania recognizes as meeting part of its AEPS requirements are byproducts of pulping and wood manufacturing, landfill methane gas, geothermal energy, low-impact hydropower, and fuel cells.141 Pennsylvania also requires investor-owned utilities doing business in the state to undertake energy efficiency measures to reduce peak power demand and electricity consumption. These energy efficiency measures include helping customers install solar and geothermal technologies, insulate buildings, and upgrade appliances that use less energy.142,143
Endnotes
1 Bonatesta, Lara, "Why is Pennsylvania called the Keystone State?," abc27 WHTM (September 27, 2023).
2 U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. Energy Atlas, All Energy Infrastructure and Resources, Pennsylvania, accessed December 2, 2024.
3 WorldAtlas, Which States Border Pennsylvania?, accessed December 2,2024.
4 National Geographic, Giant Maps, Pennsylvania, accessed December 2, 2024.
5 Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Coal in Pennsylvania, map, accessed December 2, 2024.
6 Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association, Marcellus and Utica Shale Resources, accessed December 2, 2024.
7 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas, Top 100 U.S. Oil and Gas Fields (March 2015), p. 8.
8 North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, State Climate Summaries 2022, Pennsylvania, accessed December 2, 2024.
9 U.S. Census Bureau, State Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2023, Population Estimates, Population Change, and Components of Change, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 (NST-EST2021-POP) (Excel File).
10 The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, Rural Urban Definitions, accessed December 2, 2024.
11 The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, Rural Quick Facts, accessed December 2, 2024.
12 U.S. Census Bureau, Pennsylvania: 2020 Census, August 25, 2021.
13 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C12, Primary Energy Consumption Estimates by Source, Ranked by State, 2022.
14 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table P3, Total Primary Energy Production and Total Energy Consumption Estimates in Trillion Btu, 2022.
15 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Data, GDP and Personal Income, Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, SAGDP2N GDP by state, All states, All industry total (Millions of current dollars), 2023.
16 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Data, GDP and Personal Income, Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, SAGDP 2 GDP in Current Dollars, Pennsylvania, All statistics in table 2023.
17 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C14, Total Energy Consumption Estimates Per Capita by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2022.
18 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C11, Energy Consumption Estimates by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2022.
19 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Data, GDP and Personal Income, Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, SAGDP 2 GDP in Current Dollars, Pennsylvania, All Statistics in table, 2023.
20 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas, Pennsylvania Natural Gas, Wet After Lease Separation Proved Reserves (billion cubic feet), 1979-2021.
21 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas, U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves, Year-end 2022, Table 8, Natural Gas, Wet After Lease Separation, Proved Reserves, Reserves Changes, by States and Areas, 2022 (billion cubic feet).
22 Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association, Marcellus and Utica Shale Resources, accessed December 3, 2024.
23 U.S. EIA, U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves, Year-end 2022 (April 29, 2024), Table 4, Natural gas, wet after lease separation, production and proved reserves, from shale plays (trillion cubic feet), 2021-22.
24 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas, U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves, Year-end 2022, Table 10, Natural Gas, Wet After Lease Separation, Proved Reserves, Reserves Changes From Shale Plays, by States and Areas, 2022 (billion cubic feet).
25 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production, Marketed Production, Annual-Million Cubic Feet, 2018-23.
26 U.S. EIA, "Five states drove record U.S. natural gas production in 2023," Today in Energy (December 10, 2024).
27 U.S. EIA, Pennsylvania Natural Gas Marketed Production, Million Cubic Feet, 1967-2023.
28 U.S. EIA, "Pennsylvania natural gas production changed little in 2022," Today in Energy (April 17, 2023).
29 U.S. EIA, Pennsylvania Natural Gas Marketed Production, Million Cubic Feet, 1967-2023.
30 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End Use, Pennsylvania, Annual, Million Cubic Feet, 2018-23.
31 Federal Energy Regulation Commission, Approved Major Pipeline Projects (1997-Present), updated October 31, 2024.
32 U.S. EIA, U.S. natural gas pipeline projects, Natural gas pipeline projects, Historical Projects (1996-2023), Pennsylvania.
33 Newman, Chris, "Transco Take Final Steps to Complete REA Natural Gas Pipeline Expansion in Northeast," Natural Gas Intelligence (July 22, 2024).
34 U.S. EIA, "Natural gas intrastate pipeline capacity additions outpaced interstate additions in 2023," Today In Energy (March 20, 2024).
35 U.S. EIA, International and Interstate Movements of Natural Gas by State, Pennsylvania, 2018-23.
36 U.S. EIA, Underground Natural Gas Storage Capacity, Total number of Existing Fields, 2018-23.
37 U.S. EIA, Underground Natural Gas Storage Capacity, Total Storage Capacity, Annual, 2018-23.
38 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Plant Field Production, PADD 1, Annual-Thousand Barrels, 2018-23.
39 U.S. EIA, "Pennsylvania natural gas production changed little in 2022," Today in Energy (April 17, 2023).
40 U.S. EIA, Natural gas plant liquids, accessed December 4, 2024.
41 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Plant Processing, NGPL Production, Gaseous Equivalent, Annual, 1967-2023.
42 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Pipeline Portal, accessed December 4, 2024.
43 Enterprise Products Partners LP, Operations, Liquids Gas Pipeline & Services, accessed December 4, 2024.
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82 U.S. EIA, U.S. Biodiesel Plant Production Capacity (August 15, 2024), Detailed annual production capacity by plant is available in XLSX format.
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95 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Pennsylvania, Net generation for all sectors, annual, 2001-23.
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103 Brady, Jeff, "Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant To Close, Latest Symbol Of Struggling Industry," National Public Radio (May 8, 2019).
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116 U.S. EIA, "Wind generation declined in 2023 for the first time since the 1990s," Today in Energy (April 30, 2024).
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128 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly (February 2024), Table 1.15.B.
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130 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of November 2024, Pennsylvania, Technology: Landfill Gas, Municipal Solid Waste, Wood/Wood Waste Biomass.
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135 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Pennsylvania, Net generation for all sectors, annual, 2001-23.
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Other Resources
Energy-Related Regions and Organizations
- Coal Region: Appalachian
- Petroleum Administration for Defense District (PADD): 1B
- Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) and Independent System Operator (ISO): PJM Interconnection (PJM)
- North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) ERO Enterprise: Regional Entities: Reliability First Corporation (RFC)
Other Websites
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Utility Assistance Programs
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PA State Energy Program
- Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Environmental Cleanup and Brownfields
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Energy
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Oil and Gas Programs
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Wind Energy
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Renewables
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Energy Programs Office (EPO)
- Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Alternative and Clean Energy Program (ACE)
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Active and Abandoned Mine Operations
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Reports from PA Mining Programs
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Sustainability
- PA Power Switch, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Oil and Gas
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Electric Vehicles in PA
- Lehigh University, Energy Research Center
- EIA Pennsylvania Flickr Album
- Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC)
- Carnegie Mellon University, Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
- Penn State, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Energy Institute
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Open Data PA, Energy Conservation and the Environment
- Alternative Fuels Data Center, Federal and State Laws and Incentives
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Community Services, An Office of the Administration for Children & Families, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- USA.Gov, Get help with energy bills
- EIA Status of U.S. Nuclear Outages
- NC Clean Energy Technology Center, Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE)
- National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)
- National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)
- National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Energy
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Geospatial Data Science Data and Tools
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Publications
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Maps
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Energy Flow Charts
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), SLOPE: State and Local Planning for Energy
- EIA Natural Gas Storage Dashboard
- EIA Energy Disruptions Maps
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development, Energy Programs