PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled his new energy plan at a Harrisburg power plant on Thursday, which he said would protect jobs, lower costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
If the Legislature passes his plan, Shapiro would pull Pennsylvania out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the multi-state pact aimed at reducing greenhouse gasses. The initiative, which was pushed by the Wolf administration, has been a partisan thorn in the Legislature’s side for years and is currently tied up in courts.
“That will then pave the way for a Pennsylvania-made, Pennsylvania-run system that works for Pennsylvanians,” he said.
Because Pennsylvania exports so much of the energy it generates to other states, 70% of revenue from Shapiro’s “cap and invest” proposal — known as the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Act (PACER) — would go back to Pennsylvanians. The other 30% would go toward developing clean energy and reducing air pollution.
“We produce so much energy here in the commonwealth and export it to other states. We are in a unique position among our neighbors to run our own program here in the commonwealth,” he added. “This is a common-sense energy policy that builds on our legacy of leadership and sets us up for decades to come to be leaders across the commonwealth.”
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The other part of Shapiro’s plan would require utilities to purchase more electricity from alternate sources like wind, solar, nuclear, hydro and ultra-low emission natural gas by 2035. He said doing nothing is not an option.
“Pennsylvania now ranks 45th in the nation in how much renewable energy we produce. We have fallen behind,” he said. “Other states have made investments. Other states have put policies in place. And now is a moment where we need to do the same and we need to be competitive again.”
If passed by the Legislature, the governor’s office said the plan would save Pennsylvania ratepayers $252 million in the first five years and create more than 14,500 jobs, while generating $5.1 billion in investment in clean energy sources.
Predictably, Democrats in the Legislature support the governor’s plan, while Republicans say it has no chance in the GOP-controlled Senate.