The Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting public comments on the update to the Pennsylvania Climate Change Action Plan.  Comments are due March 30. (January 30 formal notice)

The Plan is required to:

— Identify greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and sequestration trends and baselines in this Commonwealth;

— Evaluate cost-effective strategies for reducing or offsetting GHG emissions from various sectors in this Commonwealth;

— Identify costs, benefits and co-benefits of GHG reduction strategies recommended by the Plan, including the impact on the capability of meeting future energy demand within this Commonwealth;

— Identify areas of agreement and disagreement among committee members about the Plan; and

— Recommend to the General Assembly legislative changes necessary to implement the Plan.

Climate Plan Update Sections

Part of the Plan Update will include 13 work group reports making recommendations covering: Combined Heat and Power, Manure Digesters, GeoExchange Systems, Heating Oil Conservation and Fuel Switching, Re-Lighting Pennsylvania, Semi-Truck Freight Transportation, Building Energy Codes, High Performance Buildings, Coal Mine Methane Recovery, Urban and Community Forestry Role in Climate Change Mitigation, Act 129 Phase IV & V, Manufacturing Energy Technical Assistance and Energy Efficiency Finance.

Key Facts From Update

Here are some key facts from the Climate Plan Update--

-- Overall, Pennsylvania’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 are expected to be lower than in 2000.

-- Between 2000 and 2012 total statewide greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania declined by  35.58 million ton carbon dioxide equivalents or by 11.02 percent-- from 322.96 MMTCO2e to 287.38 MMTCO2e.

-- The 13 specific Work Plans included in the Update are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 337.69 million ton carbon dioxide equivalents. 

-- The Work Plans with the most cost-effective recommendations, according to the analysis done in the Update are: Energy Efficiency Finance, Semi-Truck Freight Transportation, GeoExchange Systems, Heating Oil Conservation and Fuel Switching and High Performance Buildings (see page 6).

-- The Work Plans with the highest potential reductions are: Energy Efficiency Finance, High Performance Buildings, Re-Lighting Pennsylvania, Heating Oil Conservation and Fuel Switching, and  GeoExchange Systems (see page 6).  [Note: 4 of 5 overlap.]

A copy of the Climate Plan Update for comment is available online.

DEP Secretary John Quigley has said the Climate Change Action Plan and its updates are broader in scope than the specific requirement to meet EPA’s Clean Power Climate Rule requirements.  DEP is just now putting together Pennsylvania’s plan to meet the Clean Power Rule.

Comments can be submit through DEP’s eComment webpage or by sending email to: ecomment@pa.gov or in writing to the Department of Environmental Protection, Policy Office, Rachel Carson State Office Building, P. O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063.

A copy of the Plan update is posted on DEP’s eComment webpage.  Questions about the Plan update should be directed to Mark Brojakowski, Bureau of Air Quality, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717-772-3429, mbrojakows@pa.gov.

More background on the Climate Change Plan and other reports is available on DEP’s Climate Change Advisory Committee webpage.  The next meeting of the Committee is set for March 8.

For more information on PA climate-related issues, visit DEP’s Climate Change webpage.

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