What's New
In a victory for Pennsylvania's environment and energy security, state
lawmakers announced on June 30 that a $650 million funding package for
alternative energy sources would be enacted as part of the state budget
agreement (
Read our release).
While the dollar amount was less than what PennEnvironment and others
had been calling for, the influx of new funding will help to promote
the alternative energy sources - namely solar and wind power - that are
critical to cutting global warming pollution in Pennsylvania.
Brief Summary
The production and use of energy is the single largest source of global warming pollution in Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth is home to over 30 coal-fired power plants, which is a big reason why we create more global warming pollution than every state but Texas and California.
Thankfully, Pennsylvania also has the renewable energy potential to shift away from polluting fossil fuel energy sources and dramatically reduce our global warming pollution. Clean, renewable energy sources are in abundance in Pennsylvania—especially wind and solar power. Nationally, the wind that blows over America’s Great Plains could provide enough power for the entire country.
To help achieve the global warming pollution reductions that scientists say are necessary, PennEnvironment is working at the state and national level to boost production of wind, solar power and other clean, renewable energy sources. Specifically, Pennsylvania and the country should be working to produce 25 percent of our electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025.
