New report outlines PA climate goals

A new report on Pennsylvania‘s climate goals outlines a road map for the state to capitalize on its competitive edge in energy production and industrial manufacturing.

Successful Deployment of Carbon Management and Hydrogen Economies in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was authored by Minnesota-based non-profit, Great Plains Institute, and released last week by the Team Pennsylvania Foundation in Harrisburg.

The report’s findings, recommendations, and implications were discussed at the Global Clean Energy Action Forum, hosted by the Team Pennsylvania Foundation and held in Pittsburgh on Friday, Sept. 23.

Abby Smith, Team Pennsylvania Foundation’s President & CEO, said hydrogen and carbon capture offer much to Pennsylvania’s workers, communities, environment, and economy. “Ultimately, it will take the courage to have some difficult discussions about our priorities if Pennsylvania intends to be a leader in the energy transition. Team Pennsylvania is committed to doing our part as conveners to accelerate the needed policy approaches to create and preserve jobs while reducing our carbon footprint.”

Pennsylvania is ideally suited to invest in emerging hydrogen and carbon capture economy, due largely to the state’s energy resources, geology, labor force, and cross-sector partnerships.

To realize a new era in low carbon energy, Pennsylvania still faces significant policy obstacles identified by the Team Foundation report and GPI.

This summer, Team Pennsylvania Foundation announced the Pennsylvania Energy Horizons Cross-Sector Collaborative, a partnership of energy stakeholder organizations across the state.

Aimed at decarbonizing the state’s economy and accelerating its economic growth, the Cross-Sector Collaborative has brought together more than 50 public, private, and non-governmental organizations committed to leveraging CCUS and hydrogen technology. The collaborative’s participants include the PA Chamber of Business and Industry and Lehigh University.

Matt Fry, a senior policy manager for GPI’s Carbon Management program, is the primary author of the outline on carbon management and hydrogen development in Pennsylvania.

“GPI is proud of the steps that Team Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Energy Horizons Cross-Sector Collaborative have taken to help prepare Pennsylvania for the deployment of carbon management and hydrogen technologies,” Fry said. “This work has the potential to boost the state’s economy and provide the commonwealth with sustainable jobs, all while achieving significant emissions reductions in line with the state’s decarbonization goals.”

Building on the momentum driving these issues, the Cross-Sector Collaborative has said it will act on the road map’s recommendations. It will also seek to show the existence of solid relationships between the sectors and how these relationships can work together to benefit Pennsylvanians by providing jobs, economic growth, and environmental justice.