Contact: Anthony Campisi
Anthony@WalnutLaneStrategies.com
(732) 266-8221
Conservation Voters of PA Applauds $267M Grant Program for Industrial Decarbonization, Calls for Consistent Leadership Following Recent Extension of Coal Generation
Today, Governor Josh Shapiro announced the investment of more than $267 million in federal funding for 31 projects across the Commonwealth through the Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) program. The grants are designed to help Pennsylvania manufacturers and businesses reduce carbon pollution, lower energy costs and transition to cleaner technologies.
In response to the announcement, Molly Parzen, Executive Director of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, released the following statement:
This $267 million investment is a win for our economy and our environment. By helping our industrial sector transition to cleaner technologies, we are improving the air our families breathe and ensuring that Pennsylvania businesses can remain competitive and pay workers more by lowering costs.
The 1.3 million metric tons of carbon pollution these projects are expected to eliminate in their first year represents real progress. However, Pennsylvanians deserve a consistent, state-led energy policy that prioritizes clean energy and lowers costs for working families and local businesses every day of the year.
It is difficult to fully celebrate a reduction in pollution today when, just last week, the Governor decided to allow two dirty coal plants to continue to operate that will continue to increase costs for ratepayers and pump millions of metric tons of pollution into our air. Unfortunately, the 1.3 million metric tons of carbon pollution eliminated by these projects will be dwarfed by the estimated 7 million metric tons of pollution expected over the newly extended lifetime of these coal plants. Our children and seniors, who suffer most from poor air quality, deserve state leadership that prioritizes air quality and pollution reduction consistently and sustainably.
We urge Harrisburg to match this investment of federal dollars with state-level leadership that finally moves us away from the fossil fuels of the past and toward a truly clean, low-cost energy future for all Pennsylvanians.
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