This week, P.R. Quinlan Associates (PRQ) had the opportunity to engage directly in a conversation that sits at the core of its work: helping policymakers, the media, and the public understand complex energy issues clearly, accurately, and constructively.
On Tuesday, a PRQ representative testified on behalf of the Retail Energy Supply Association (RESA) before the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee and House Energy Committee at an informational hearing focused on energy affordability. That conversation continued later in the week with the publication of an op-ed in PennLive, outlining the case that Pennsylvania families already have a powerful—if often misunderstood—tool to help manage rising energy costs: retail energy choice.
The hearing brought together legislators, consumer advocates, utilities, and other stakeholders to confront a challenge nearly every household is experiencing. Energy bills are rising, and families are rightly asking why—and what can be done about it.
A central theme guided both the legislative testimony and the op-ed: retail energy choice is not the cause of today’s affordability challenges, but it can be part of the solution.
Some critics argue that allowing customers to shop for electricity drives higher costs. However, available data points to different factors as the primary drivers of rising energy bills. These include increased investment in distribution systems, wholesale market dynamics and capacity costs, policy-related charges, growing electricity demand (including from data centers), and weather-driven volatility. These pressures affect all customers, regardless of whether they shop for supply or remain on utility default service.
What competitive retail markets do offer is flexibility and choice. Some consumers prioritize the lowest available price at a given time, while others value long-term fixed-price products that provide budgeting certainty and protection from market swings. In recent years, those fixed-price options helped shield many Pennsylvania consumers from sharp increases in wholesale capacity costs—costs that flowed directly through to default service rates.
Pennsylvania is widely regarded as a national leader in retail energy choice. Its consumer shopping platforms, regulatory oversight framework, and balance between competition and consumer protection are often cited as best-in-class. Preserving that balance is especially important at a time when affordability concerns dominate the energy policy conversation.
Retail energy choice, when supported by strong oversight and clear consumer information, gives households options that many other states do not offer. It is a tool that can help consumers better manage risk, control costs, and align energy decisions with their individual priorities.
At PRQ, this kind of engagement reflects the firm’s day-to-day work. The firm helps energy companies, trade associations, and other stakeholders engage thoughtfully with regulators, legislators, and the public. That work includes translating complex market structures into plain language, grounding arguments in credible data, and communicating in ways that inform rather than inflame.
Testifying before legislative committees and contributing to public discourse through op-eds are examples of how effective regulatory and public-affairs communication can shape energy policy outcomes. In an environment where energy affordability is both economically and politically charged, clear, credible voices matter—especially when the stakes are high for consumers.
Pennsylvania families already have a meaningful tool to help navigate rising energy costs. Ensuring that tool is understood, protected, and used responsibly should remain a shared priority as the Commonwealth continues to debate energy affordability and market structure.