Smucker Statement on PUC’s Announcement of Refund to Pennsylvania Consumers

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-16) issued the following statement after the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) announced that, because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 17 utility companies will return $320 million to Pennsylvania consumers:

“This is wonderful news for my constituents and residents of our commonwealth. I wrote to the Commission in March urging it to review the impact of recent tax changes because I wanted to be sure my constituents were receiving the full benefits of the new tax law. I’m glad to see the Commission take action to lower utility bills for the families I represent.”

The Commission’s decision is a direct result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. In the issued order, the PUC said:

“In summary, the Commission has determined that due to the substantial decrease in federal corporate income tax rates and its effect on utility revenue requirements, the existing rates of the public utilities listed in ordering paragraph number 4 of this order are no longer just and reasonable and, indeed, excessive.”

Rep. Smucker wrote to PUC Secretary Rosemary Chiavetta in March, urging the Commission to review the impact of recent tax changes and consider adjusting current utility rates to reflect the recent changes. You can read Rep. Smucker’s letter here.

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