On March 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a record 45 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and dozens of Metropolitan Statistical Areas have now developed priority climate action plans through investments made possible by the federal Inflation Reduction Act’s Investing in America program.

The planning process is supported by EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, which offers a unique opportunity to help state and local governments develop strategies to reduce harmful pollution and address environmental justice concerns, while building the infrastructure, industry, and competitive economy for a clean energy future.

The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program created under the Inflation Reduction Act is enabling community-driven solutions to the climate crisis and helping accelerate America’s clean energy transition.

The submitted PCAPs lay the groundwork for the second phase of the CPRG program: $4.6 billion in competitive implementation grants that planning grant recipients and other eligible entities can use to fund GHG reduction measures contained within the PCAPs.

Pennsylvania’s Plan

The Department of Environmental Protection submitted Pennsylvania’s Priority Climate Action Plan to EPA on March 1. 

Louie Krak, DEP’s Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator, told DEP’s Environmental Justice Advisory Board on February 21-- “DEP plans to submit a $500 million implementation grant application” under the federal Priority Climate Action Plan program.  Read more here.

The Plan identifies these priority sectors for greenhouse gas reductions in these categories of measures--

-- Industrial Electrification, Efficiency and Process Emissions - Industrial

    -- Incentivize industrial decarbonization efforts through technical assistance and funding incentives

-- Low Carbon Fuels - Industrial

    -- Provide incentives on the use of hydrogen and biomethane as a substitute for fossil gas by industrial operations

-- On-Site Renewable Energy - Industrial, Buildings

    -- Bolster clean electricity generation through on-site renewable energy generation and storage

-- Carbon Capture Utilization And Storage - Industrial, Land Use, Land Use Change, Forestry

     -- Focus efforts on carbon capture by heavy industries that lack viable low-carbon alternatives like cement and chemicals

-- Fugitive Emissions Reduction - Industrial, Agricultural, Waste

    -- Expand ‘Super-Emitter’ Response Program to detect, act on methane emission from oil & gas and other sources;

    -- Expand voluntary adoption of methane monitoring, control beyond minimum federal standards;

-- Net-Zero Electricity Grid - Power

    -- A net zero electricity grid by 2050 will require a combination of resources including existing nuclear, new small modular nuclear, solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, coal or gas-fired power plants with carbon capture or gas-fired with low carbon fuels like biomethane or hydrogen

    -- To deploy clean energy resources at a pace and scale needed, the state will have to consider permitting reform to ensure new project can be sited and developed in a timely manner

    -- To support grid reliability, these measures prioritize investments in energy efficiency and distributed energy resources and the use of battery storage with intermittent resources.

    [-- On March 7, the Independent Fiscal Office issued its latest Pennsylvania Electricity update that reports the electricity grid is dependent on one fuel for 59% of the state’s electricity generation--  natural gas-- followed by nuclear power-- 31.9%, coal-- 5.4% and 3.7% from other sources.]

-- Building Electrification & Efficiency - Buildings

-- Electric & Alternative Fuel Vehicles - Transportation

-- Public & Active Transportation - Transportation

For each priority sector, the Plan outlines existing programs and new opportunities to achieve greenhouse gas reductions primarily through adoption of technical assistance, education, grant and funding incentive programs.

DEP said it has the statutory authority in the 1995 law that created the agency, the state Air Pollution Control Act and other laws to establish grant and funding programs to implement the Plan.

Pennsylvania’s Climate Action Priority Plan is available online. 

Visit DEP’s Priority Climate Action Plan webpage for more information. Questions should be directed to Lindsay Byron, DEP Energy Programs Office, 717-772-8951 or send email to: lbyron@pa.gov.

Click Here for the complete EPA announcement.

For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website, Report Emergencies, Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; visit DEP’s Blog,  Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.

Related Articles - Grid Reliability:

-- House Hearing: Shapiro Administration Supports Expanding Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards; Renewables Lower Energy Costs; Increase Grid Reliability; More Work Needed To Improve Gas Reliability [PaEN]

-- Coalition For Community Solar Access Thanks House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee For Hearing, Calls For Vote On House Bill 1842  [PaEN]

-- PUC To Seek Comments On Proposed Regulation On Use Of Distributed Energy Resources And Virtual Power Plants  [PaEN]

-- PUC Again Reminds Consumers Of Dec. 1 Price Changes: Natural Gas (+149% to -64.2%); Electric (+18.8% to -25.7%)  [PaEN]

-- PJM, Electric Grid Operators Recommend Additional Steps To Overcome Vulnerabilities In Natural Gas Infrastructure To Ensure More Reliable Grid Operation [PaEN]

-- US Senators Introduce Bill To Ban US LNG Gas Sales To Any Entity Under The Control Of Communist China To Protect US Jobs; Americans From Price Spikes; EQT Says We Have A ‘Duty’ To Provide LNG Gas To China; Where Do AMERICAN Interests Lie?  [PaEN]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: ‘Selling Oil And Natural Gas To China?’ ‘It Simply Should Not Happen, Period’  [PaEN]

-- Stars and Stripes Guest Essay: Pause On Permits For New LNG Gas Export Facilities Right Move For National Security - Rivals Like China Are Using US LNG To Build Influence - By Steve Anderson, US Army Brigadier General - Retired  [PaEN]

-- PA Utility Law Project March 15 Webinar On Impacts Of LNG Gas Exports On Energy Costs For Pennsylvania Families; LNG Export Capacity To Double, Even With Permit Pause  [PaEN]

Related Articles - Energy/Climate Plan:

-- Gov. Shapiro Unveils Cap-And-Invest PA Climate Emissions Reduction Initiative To Reduce Carbon Pollution From Power Plants; Update Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards To Diversify Electric Generation, Improve Reliability  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Joins Industry, Labor, Environmental, Consumer Leaders To Highlight New Energy Plan To Create Jobs, Lower Costs For Pennsylvanians  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro: PA Labor & Industry Leaders Praise Energy/Climate Plan

-- Gov. Shapiro: PA Environmental Leaders Praise Energy/Climate Plan

-- Gov. Shapiro On Republican Reaction To His Energy Plan: They’ve Done Nothing And Power ‘Plants Have Closed On Their Watch;’ They’re ‘Used To Doing Nothing;’ ‘Doing Nothing Is Not Acceptable’ [PaEN]

-- Senate Republicans Reject Gov. Shapiro’s Offer To Work On Legislation To Make The Electric Grid More Reliable, Diversify Our Energy Sources, Lower Energy Costs For Ratepayers, Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions  [PaEN]

-- EPA: Pennsylvania One Of 45 States, MSAs To Submit Priority Climate Action Plans As Part Of $5 Billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Conventional Oil & Gas Operators Will Not Be Eligible For New Methane Reduction Well Plugging Grants If They Are Not In Compliance With State Law, Regulations  [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Proposed Changes To General Air Quality Permit Authorizing Coal Mine Methane Flares  [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania’s Electric Grid Is Dependent On One Fuel To Generate 59% Of Our Electricity; Market Moving To Renewables + Storage  [PaEN]

-- US EIA Report Shows How Winter Storms Have Reduced US Natural Gas Production, But Disruptions Can Happen Any Time Of The Year  [PaEN]

NewsClips - Energy/Climate Plan:

-- AP: PA Gov. Shapiro Backs New Plan To Make Power Plants Pay For Greenhouse Gases

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Gov. Shapiro Calls For PA Carbon Cap-And-Trade Market, Plus Higher Clean Energy Requirements

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Gov. Shapiro Proposes State Climate Program To Replace RGGI, Asks For New Renewable Energy Goals

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: PA Governor Wants To Cut Power Plant Emissions With His Own Cap-And-Invest Program

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Shapiro Tees Up Independent Carbon Tax Plan For Pennsylvania

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shapiro Unveils Alternative To RGGI That Would Keep Proceeds And Cap In State

-- PennLive: Shapiro Pitches Sweeping Two-Piece Energy, Climate Change Plan

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro Pitches Carbon Cap-And-Invest Plant To Capitalize On PA’s Energy Exports

-- The Center Square: Building Trades Say Governor’s Carbon Tax Plan ‘Sets The Thanksgiving Table, Now It’s Time To Sit Down And Eat’

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Governor’s Carbon Tax Plan Called A ‘Disastrous’ Gift To Ohio, West Virginia By Republicans, Others

-- WVIA: Frustrated With Water Polluted By Shale Gas Drilling, Dimock, Susquehanna County Residents Confront Governor At Clean Energy Announcement In Scranton

-- PennLive Guest Essay: There’s No Excuse For Inaction On Climate Change In Pennsylvania - By Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester), Minority Chair Of Senate Environmental Committee

-- PA Interfaith Power & Light: National Faith + Climate Online Forum Set For April 16;  In-Person Watch Party

-- Penn State Earth Talks: March 18 In-Person/Webinar On City Heat Adaptation Tool For Cities To Improve Public Health, 4:00 p.m.

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Report: Billions In PA Taxpayer Subsidies Go To Polluting Shell Petrochemical Plant Without Regard To Environmental Compliance

-- Utility Dive: US Electricity Prices Outpace Inflation; Consumers Not Seeing Rate Decreases Due To Gas Price Drops; Increased LNG Gas Exports Could Send Prices Higher Again 

[Posted: March 12, 2024]

3/18/2024