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STATEWIDE ENVIRONMENTAL SCORECARD SHOWS PA HOUSE ACTED TO LOWER ENERGY COSTS, WHILE SENATE REPUBLICANS BLOCKED PROGRESS
Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, alongside Clean Water Action, the Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter and Clean Air Action, today released the 2025–2026 Pennsylvania Environmental Scorecard, tracking how state lawmakers voted on critical environmental, energy, and democracy issues during the past legislative session.
The results reveal a stark contrast in Harrisburg: While the Pennsylvania House of Representatives responded to a growing affordability crisis by advancing comprehensive legislation to lower electricity prices, regulate AI data centers, protect drinking water and strengthen our democracy, the state Senate stopped progress at virtually every turn.
Across the Commonwealth, Pennsylvanians are struggling under the weight of a worsening affordability crisis. AI data centers are rapidly increasing demand for electricity and driving up utility bills, while utilities and fossil fuel corporations reap record profits. At the same time, communities face the growing realities of dangerous summer heat waves and wildfire smoke.
The Pennsylvania House worked to address these pressing concerns. The state House took action on 15 pro-environment pieces of legislation to lower energy bills, enact guardrails on AI data centers, protect drinking water from toxic PFAS chemicals, expand clean manufacturing, increase transit funding and empower local communities.
In contrast, the Senate blocked all of those bills.
Instead, it advanced an amendment that blocked Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which is leading to higher electricity prices and fewer clean energy options for Pennsylvania’s working families.
A shocking 23 senators earned a failing score of 0%.
"Over the past two years, the House listened to our members and took action in response to skyrocketing electricity prices," said Molly Parzen, Executive Director of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania. "Our scorecard proves that when everyday people speak up, change is possible. But while environmental champions in the House stepped up to lower energy costs and protect our communities, too many in the Senate chose to defend monopoly utility profits and block critical progress. Pennsylvanians deserve to know who stood with their families and who stood in the way of a cleaner, more affordable future."
"When it comes to voting to address the affordability crisis and protecting Pennsylvania's natural heritage, the differences between the PA House and PA Senate could not be starker," said Sean Hoffmann, Legislative Director for Clean Air Action. "The House continues to fight for our right under PA's Constitution to a healthy environment, while the Senate inexplicably refuses to hold votes even on bills that have passed the House with unanimous support from both parties. This cycle's scorecard shows Pennsylvanians from across the Commonwealth whether their legislators are voting to make progress or to hold us back."
"The disparity between the chambers' approaches and the failure of our state government to protect our health and environment is encapsulated in HB 1261, said Steve Hvozdovich, Pennsylvania Campaigns Director of Clean Water Action. "This bill to protect our firefighters' health and our environment by prohibiting toxic PFAS chemicals in firefighting foam UNANIMOUSLY passed the House, which is remarkable in this polarized political climate, but won't be brought up in the Senate by leadership for final consideration."
"Voters can’t hold elected officials accountable for votes they're unaware of. That’s why transparency matters," said Jen Quinn, Legislative and Political Director for the Sierra Club, Pennsylvania. "Our Environmental Scorecard puts legislators’ environmental voting records in the hands of the people they represent, giving Pennsylvanians the information they need to make informed choices at the ballot box. An educated electorate is a powerful force and when voters know where their representatives stand, elected officials know they will be held accountable for their records."
Key Scorecard Highlights & Findings
The 2025–2026 Scorecard evaluates voting records under a divided government, with Democrats holding a narrow majority in the House and Republicans controlling the Senate:
- State House Snapshot: The House achieved an average score of 58% overall. House Democrats averaged 94%, while House Republicans averaged 22%.
- House Environmental Champions: Six House members earned a perfect 100% score for consistently voting to protect Pennsylvania families and the environment: Reps. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware), Mary Isaacson (D-Philadelphia), Ben Waxman (D-Philadelphia), Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia), Ana Tiburcio (D-Lehigh)* and Jen Mazzocco (D-Lebanon)*.
- State Senate Snapshot: The Senate achieved an average score of just 35% overall. Senate Democrats averaged 74%, while Senate Republicans averaged an abysmal 2%.
- Senate Environmental Champions: Two senators earned a perfect 100% score for standing up to fossil fuel interests: Sens. Katie Muth (D-Chester) and Nikil Saval (D-Philadelphia).
- Senate Gridlock: Nearly half of the Senate — 23 Republican lawmakers — scored a 0%, voting against pro-environment and consumer protection measures on every single scored bill.
We Can't Solve Tomorrow's Problems with Yesterday's Energy Policies
Pennsylvania continues to generate less than 4% of its energy from renewable sources, leaving consumers exposed to volatile fossil fuel markets, global price shocks and rising utility rates. While the House advanced proactive solutions — including HB 1834 and HB 2151 to set guardrails on AI data centers, HB 504 to expand community solar and HB 1556 to promote clean manufacturing — these measures were ignored in the Senate.
Meanwhile, the Senate prioritized measures that would weaken environmental oversight, derail clean energy programs, roll back stream protections and add bureaucratic hurdles to state regulatory agencies.
"Our scorecard isn't about what lawmakers say — it's about what they did when everyday Pennsylvanians needed them to act,” Parzen said. “Every vote was a choice between lowering costs for Pennsylvania families and protecting our environment, or fighting to make corporate special interests even wealthier. The decisions our leaders make today will determine whether our energy and affordability crises get better or worse."