The Pennsylvania Environmental Council issued the following statement on Governor Shapiro’s announcement today of the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS) and Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction (PACER) Proposals:
PEC commends Governor Shapiro for today’s announcement on his new PRESS proposal to expand our state’s outdated Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards. PEC has long advocated for enhanced requirements in a clean energy standard that would not only increase renewable deployment in our Commonwealth, but also include emerging and homegrown clean energy technologies like advanced nuclear and geothermal. Other states near and far are surpassing the Commonwealth in attracting clean energy generation, manufacturing, and investment, as well as achieving better grid diversification. They also have established requirements that will jeopardize our continued status as an energy exporter unless we proactively enact policies to help drive decarbonization of our electricity generation. The PRESS proposal is a strong start toward that end.
The Governor’s PACER proposal reflects the conclusion of his working group (on which PEC served) that a cap-and-invest program is the most effective and efficient way to reduce emissions from the power sector. We remain certain that this is the optimal strategy to reduce emissions, benefit consumers, and create new energy jobs. PEC supports Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), and we are hopeful that the PACER proposal can advance meaningful dialogue with the General Assembly to advance these shared goals.
The clean energy transition can bring tremendous benefits to Pennsylvania’s economy, communities, and environment. We applaud the Governor’s efforts to lead us to a healthier, prosperous clean energy future.