‘Surging Electric Bills Hit Allentown Amid Leaders’ Cause Dispute’

TL/DR –

Residents in Allentown, Pennsylvania, are grappling with a significant increase in their electric bills, with reports suggesting that the costs have soared by 10%-20% in the past year. Local democratic lawmakers attribute the hike to the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed in July, which rolls back clean energy subsidies and tax credits by altering the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. In response, a spokesperson for local Republican Congressman Ryan Mackenzie argued that an all-encompassing energy strategy incorporating renewables, nuclear, and fossil fuels is being prioritized to alleviate soaring energy prices attributed to the Biden administration’s policies.

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Individuals and businesses in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and neighboring areas are noticing a substantial surge in their electricity costs. For some, such as Melissa Sterner, owner of the small business Sterner Stems, the price increase has been dramatic. “A huge hike,” she described. “Like overnight, it was one amount and then next night it went up by a third.”

Sterner is not the only one grappling with soaring power bills. Heather Toolan, a resident of South Whitehall Township, saw her monthly electricity expenses rise from around 170 to the 240 range. This prompted her to initiate a payment plan for the first time. Some families are making even tougher decisions to cope with the price spikes. Justin Grimshaw, Assistant Business Manager of IBEW Local 375, mentioned a family that cut back on groceries to keep their home heated.

Local democratic officials, including Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk and Lehigh County Executive Josh Siegel, met at the IBEW Local 375 office in Allentown to inform the public about the 10 to 20 percent increase in electricity bills over the past year. They attribute this hike to the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed last July. This legislation primarily targets clean energy subsidies and tax credits, leading to a rollback of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

The democratic lawmakers argue that the reduction in clean energy initiatives, which saved thousands of dollars for Americans, is causing the surge in electricity bills. “As of December, they basically gutted all the clean energy tax credits that were available to homeowners to put solar panels on their roofs to install heat pumps,” Siegel said. “And on average, those can save families $2200 dollars a year in energy costs.”

Tuerk and Siegel are urging constituents to pressure local Republican Congressman Ryan Mackenzie and President Trump to reverse these changes. In response to these calls, Arnaud Armstrong, a spokesperson for Mackenzie sent a statement to the press:

“Congressman Mackenzie has prioritized an all-of-the-above energy strategy that unleashes all of our nation’s resources, including renewables, nuclear, and fossil fuels. After the failure of the Biden Administration’s one-size-fits-all policy — which caused household energy prices to soar by over 20% — Congress[sic] Mackenzie is working to expand domestic energy capacity and deliver the relief that local families deserve. These efforts have helped to achieve the lowest gas prices since covid and the record domestic energy production needed to provide long-term relief.”

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