Through research, activism, and thought leadership, colleges and universities have always been the vanguard of the sustainability movement. But, like any large enterprise, most are also voracious consumers of energy and resources. The University of Pittsburgh is one in a...
As lawmakers wrestle with the future of nuclear energy in Pennsylvania, many issues remain unresolved. But within both parties there is increasingly widespread agreement on one principle: we can and should address greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania, and that allowing...
As climate issues garner more and more urgent attention, how Pennsylvania will address our need to deeply decarbonize our electric and transportation sectors continues to be defined. Currently in the state: • The Department of Environmental Protection is considering an...
There’s been plenty of talk about climate in Pennsylvania. Now it’s time for action. Davitt Woodwell and John Walliser discuss PEC’s just-released policy proposal for putting the Commonwealth on a path to zero carbon emissions.
Pennsylvania will slash 80% of net greenhouse gas emissions statewide by 2050 under targets announced January 8 by Governor Tom Wolf. State agencies will lead the way, working strategically through the governor’s new GreenGov Council to improve energy efficiency across...
New leak detection technology will help natural gas utility Peoples Gas cut methane emissions from its Pittsburgh distribution system in half this year. The announcement marks a new phase in Peoples’ ongoing partnership with Environmental Defense Fund and Google Earth...
With new urgency around the unfolding climate crisis, policy discussions at the state level are intensifying. PEC’s policy team has an update and analysis on recent and forthcoming proposals to tackle Pennsylvania’s carbon emissions. Links: IPCC Special Report on Global...
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are both on Bloomberg Philanthropies’ list of 20 American cities being recognized for leading the way on climate action, each receiving up to $2.5 million to accelerate existing sustainability work. We talk with the director of Philly’s...
Pennsylvania has an opportunity to substantially lower emissions of methane from our natural gas industry, the nation’s second-largest, simply by requiring better monitoring and quicker response to leaks on well pads. Finding and fixing these leaks will mean significantly reducing...
Pennsylvania’s first-in-the-nation recycling law is 30 years old this summer. Act 101 helped launch a multibillion-dollar industry and trained a generation of Pennsylvanians to drop their bottles and cans in the blue bin. But changing market conditions and consumer behaviors...
Community gardens and CSAs make it easy for apartment-dwellers to access fresh, locally-grown produce. What if you could apply the same concept to sell homegrown electrons to utility customers? As lawmakers set the stage for community solar projects to move...
The United States is undergoing a momentous shift in the way we produce and distribute energy: away from abundant fossil fuel resources, such as coal and gas, toward cleaner and renewable energy sources. It’s a necessary – arguably inevitable –...
On this episode: how the Super Bowl LII Champion Philadelphia Eagles became the greenest team in pro sports, plus news from the Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape. Links: Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape 2018 Philadelphia Environmental Partnership Dinner Philadelphia Eagles...
A deep dive into Pennsylvania’s new alternative utility ratemaking law, and a visit to the soon-to-reopen Climax Tunnel on Clarion County’s Redbank Valley Trail. Links: Video: Tunnel Vision Climax Tunnel Opening Celebration PA Environment Daily: Alternative Utility Ratemaking Bill...
Here’s what we already knew about methane: It’s the primary component of natural gas. It’s much more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. And a non-zero amount of it is escaping into the atmosphere as a result of...
The West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund‘s (WPPSEF) video series, The Quiet Ones, profiles organizations and individuals with whom the Fund works on clean energy projects in western Pennsylvania. The latest installment, “Caring for Two Environments,” highlights the energy &...
In these digital times, the paper industry isn’t what it used to be. But one paper manufacturer in central PA is thriving under a business model that’s all about reducing environmental impacts and finding innovative ways to stay viable....
Technology is a powerful tool, but it’s not enough to confront the most complex environmental challenges — you also need foresight, strategy, cooperation, patience, and above all, leadership. Jared Cohon has exemplified all of these qualities and more during his...
An update on recent environmental legislation and other state government activity with PEC’s policy team, and a postcard from our recent Earth Day tree-planting event at Pinchot State Forest. Earth Day 2018 Tree Planting in Pinchot State Forest...
Pennsylvania looks for an on-ramp to the EV revolution, and Environmental Defense Fund launches a first-of-its kind initiative to track methane emissions from space. Links: PEC Letter on EV Infrastructure Legislation EDF Announces Satellite Mission to Locate and Measure Methane...
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, packing many times the climate-altering power of carbon dioxide. It’s also the primary component in natural gas, which means the production, processing, and distribution of natural gas is a major source of pollution that...
Next week the Pennsylvania Senate and House will be in session, and a number of bills that affect the environment will be under consideration. They include: The Good House Bill 1446 – PEC Supports The House is expected to take...
Every spring, PEC and Dominion Energy honor organizations and individuals from western Pennsylvania who are leading the way on environmental innovation and stewardship in their communities. This year an independent panel of expert judges reviewed dozens of nominations, ultimately awarding...
Alissa Burger joins PEC as Senior Policy Advisor, Energy & Climate The Pennsylvania Environmental Council is pleased to announce that Alissa Burger has joined the organization as Senior Policy Advisory, Energy & Climate. In this new role, she is...
The site of an archaeological dig in Lycoming County becomes a vibrant community park with help from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund. Another success story to mark the Keystone Fund’s 25th anniversary, and a chat with PEC’s new...
Nobody knows exactly how much methane is released each year by Pennsylvania’s oil and gas industry. But a new Environmental Defense Fund analysis suggests actual emissions could be as high as five times the state’s official estimate. Links: Let’s Pick...
The Pennsylvania Environmental Council is looking for an energy wonk with strong managerial skills to lead our Energy & Climate program. Based in Pittsburgh, the Program Manager will guide the ongoing implementation of PEC’s deep decarbonization initiative. See the complete...
We’ve all had that moment where we fantasize about quitting a job. Telling the boss where he or she can go, storming out, slamming a door. But what about when the break-up is more amicable? You both know it’s for...
Last month the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection released long-awaited revised versions of two permitting proposals which are designed to help control methane emissions from new unconventional natural gas wells and their accompanying transmission infrastructure. At the moment, the Department...
On December 12th, PEC convened a meeting of 20 on the topic of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. (To learn more about what CCUS is, see our earlier blog post.) Attendance was...
In our final episode of 2017: why Pennsylvania veterans are joining the call for responsible controls on methane emissions in the natural gas industry, and an update on voting for 2018 Pennsylvania River of the Year.
Pittsburgh’s Climate Action Plan is taking shape. But how will the city achieve its vision of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by mid-century? PEC’s Lindsay Baxter, who authored the original version of the plan in 2008, joins us. Also:...
This post originally appeared in the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy blog on August 31, 2017. 2016 brought the potential for a financial boon in the form of zero emissions credits (ZEC) to a fraction of the nation’s struggling nuclear...
Pennsylvania is riddled with abandoned oil wells, and the state doesn’t have the resources to locate and plug even a fraction of them. That’s why DEP wants to make it easier — and less risky — for private actors to...
The latest on Pennsylvania’s ongoing state budget battle, and a roundtable discussion with members of DEP’s Solar Future Stakeholders Group. Links: Finding Pennsylvania’s Solar Future Pennsylvania Legacies #53: How to Create a Clean Energy Economy
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies capture gaseous CO2 from point source emissions – power plants and industrial facilities – and either inject them underground for long-term storage within deep rock formations, or repurpose them for other productive uses, called...
A legislative raid on special environment & conservation funds may leave communities on the hook for money already spent on local grant-funded projects; Shell agrees to fenceline monitoring at its new ethane cracker; and Hurricane Harvey delivers a stark warning...
At least one major federal government entity is still paying attention to the threat of climate change: the military. A retired naval officer explains why, in a talk given at PEC’s 2017 deep decarbonization conference. (Learn more at pec-climate.org) In...
A look inside PEC’s new white paper, Achieving Deep Carbon Reductions: Paths for Pennsylvania’s Energy Future, based on our March 2017 conference of the same name. PEC President Davitt Woodwell chats with Energy & Climate Program Manager Lindsay Baxter.
Let’s face it—science isn’t always exciting. Scientific journal articles aren’t beach reading, at least for most of us. But right now there is a heated public debate among scientists over the feasibility of achieving 100% of U.S. energy by 2055–and it’s...
When PEC first started talking about deep decarbonization, we received questions like “why go so extreme?” or “is that even possible?” Perhaps it does sound more like a fantasy than a business strategy on first blush, but we believe deep...
June is budget month in Harrisburg, and that means a year’s worth of fiscal numbers and news come to a head through many different moving parts. While 2017 is a different year, we are again faced with daunting numbers and...
Conversation with 2017 Winsor Award winner Carol Collier, and a crash course in the climate science and economics of methane emissions. Links: 2017 Philadelphia Environmental Partnership Dinner CH4nge for PA
Introducing CH4nge.com Today, June 5, 2017, concludes the public comment period for GP-5 and GP-5A, updating the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s air quality permitting rules for unconventional natural gas operations. It’s another milestone on Pennsylvania’s path to cleaner air, less waste, and...
More and more states are adopting measures to limit emissions of methane from the production and distribution of natural gas. Finding and fixing methane leaks is good for the environment, but it’s also good for business — like the 20+...
Reaction to the Trump administration’s budget proposal, recognition for PEC’s illegal dumpsite cleanup program, and a preview of Carnegie Mellon University’s “Energy Week.”
On March 15 & 16 PEC hosted “Achieving Deep Carbon Reductions,” a regional conference devoted to the subject of deep decarbonization. This week’s show is the first of several featuring highlights from the sessions and interviews with the speakers.
Note: this post is part of a series highlighting PEC’s upcoming conference, Achieving Deep Carbon Reductions: Paths for Pennsylvania’s Energy Future, March 15-16 at the David L. Lawrence Convention center in downtown Pittsburgh. This piece was contributed by Michael Blackhurst, PhD of the University of...
The campus of Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory is home to some of the world’s greenest buildings — in more ways than one. We learn about Phipps’s 124-year evolution from public botanical gardens to R&D lab for sustainable building and design. Plus:...
Note: this post is part of a series highlighting PEC’s upcoming conference, Achieving Deep Carbon Reductions: Paths for Pennsylvania’s Energy Future, March 15-16 at the David L. Lawrence Convention center in downtown Pittsburgh. This piece was contributed by Lindsay Baxter, Program Manager for...
Note: this post is part of a series highlighting PEC’s upcoming conference, Achieving Deep Carbon Reductions: Paths for Pennsylvania’s Energy Future, March 15-16 at the David L. Lawrence Convention center in downtown Pittsburgh. This piece was contributed by guest blogger Katrina M. Kelly of...
Note: this post is part of a series highlighting PEC’s upcoming conference, Achieving Deep Carbon Reductions: Paths for Pennsylvania’s Energy Future, March 15-16 at the David L. Lawrence Convention center in downtown Pittsburgh. This piece was contributed by guest blogger Aimee Curtright, Ph.D., and...
Note: this post is part of a series highlighting PEC’s upcoming conference, Achieving Deep Carbon Reductions: Paths for Pennsylvania’s Energy Future, March 15-16 at the David L. Lawrence Convention center in downtown Pittsburgh. This piece was contributed by guest blogger Mike Ford of Carnegie Mellon...
Note: this post is part of a series highlighting PEC’s upcoming conference, Achieving Deep Carbon Reductions: Paths for Pennsylvania’s Energy Future, March 15-16 at the David L. Lawrence Convention center in downtown Pittsburgh. This piece was contributed by guest blogger John Dernbach...
Note: this is the first in a series of guest blog posts highlighting PEC’s upcoming conference, Achieving Deep Carbon Reductions: Paths for Pennsylvania’s Energy Future, March 15-16 at the David L. Lawrence Convention center in downtown Pittsburgh. This piece was contributed by...
Lindsay Baxter sets the 2017 agenda for PEC’s energy & climate program: deep decarbonization, low-impact hydropower, and rethinking sustainability.
How much do you know about how electricity gets delivered to your home? We all know that when we flip the switch, the lights come on. But for many of us, that’s where our understanding of electricity begins and ends....
There’s broad consensus that renewable energy sources are a key element in the transition away from fossil fuels. But some experts warn that an overcommitment to renewables could actually work against the larger goal of cutting carbon emissions 80% or more by 2050. We...
This fall PEC participated in several weeks of air quality monitoring in its Pittsburgh office through the ROCIS project, which stands for “Reducing Outdoor Contaminants in Indoor Spaces.” Air quality is a challenge in the Pittsburgh region, due to local...
In the latest Environmental Focus, we examine efforts to advance leading practices and safeguards for unconventional shale gas development. Interviewed are Susan LeGros, President and Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Shale Development, and Davitt Woodwell, President of the...
This week’s Pennsylvania Legacies podcast features Patrick Starr, Executive Vice President of PEC.
As of today, Pennsylvania finally has in place the core of a twenty-first century set of rules for the gas industry. It has taken three governors, four DEP secretaries, two state supreme court decisions, three sessions of the General Assembly,...
Kiara Vaughn, a law student at the University of Pennsylvania, joins the Pennsylvania Legacies podcast. Visit PEC’s Audio Room to listen to the podcast series.
Mark Alan Hughes, Director of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, joins the podcast to discuss what led him to his career in energy policy, the current state of sustainability in Philadelphia, and more. Visit...
On August 22, Governor Wolf’s Administration officially released the 2015 Climate Change Action Plan Update, as required by the Pennsylvania Climate Change Act of 2008. In general, the plan is a useful document, outlining some of the key opportunities for...
Gabi Hughes, an environmental educator at the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, joins the podcast to discuss what led her to environmental education, her experience in the profession, and more. Visit PEC’s Audio Room to listen to the podcast’s first...
Elena Meth, an environmental studies/sociology and anthropology double major at Denison University joins the podcast to discuss how she developed her passion for the environment, her collegiate studies, the next generation of environmental stewards, and more. Visit PEC’s Audio Room...
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette environmental reporter Don Hopey joins the podcast to discuss the state of environmental journalism, how he got started in the industry, and much more. Visit PEC’s Audio Room to listen to the podcast’s first three episodes featuring PEC’s John...
In our continuing efforts to increase environmental and conservation stewardship across the Commonwealth, PEC is pleased to present our first podcast series (the term “PEC-Cast” has even been suggested). Titled “Pennsylvania Legacies,” these conversations, hosted by Davitt Woodwell, are meant...
This past week, one year after PEC first wrote to the members of the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee expressing concerns with SB805, we were included in a Philadelphia Inquirer article about why energy efficiency advocates oppose this...
Davitt Woodwell President Pennsylvania Environmental Council The Pennsylvania General Assembly today allowed an important step forward in managing unconventional shale gas development in the Commonwealth. By not upending the six-year process that led to amendments of the Oil and Gas...
PEC welcomes Lynn Conrad, Executive Director of the Rail-Trail Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania, as the second author in its guest blog series. It’s the beginning of March, the time of year when the Rail-Trail Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania decides where...
I am pleased to have the opportunity to share “The German Energiewende: Informing Pennsylvania’s Clean Energy Policy,” the final paper culminating from my travel and research in Germany in the fall of 2015. This work was funded by the American...
Yesterday (Jan. 19), Governor Wolf announced that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will be advancing a series of measures to control methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. Methane is very much at the forefront of national awareness...
As the cold weather of the winter season blows across Pennsylvania, you may be reminded of that drafty window or leaky door you’ve been meaning to fix. If your 2016 resolution is to make your home more comfortable, whether you...
On Dec. 8, PEC partnered with the Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, in coordination with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), to host “Untapped Potential: A Briefing on Hydroelectricity in Pennsylvania.” This invitation-only meeting...
A recent article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review highlighted some of the lessons learned from my recent travels in Germany studying energy policy. I’d like to offer my thanks to the Trib’s David Conti for helping us to open the conversation...
No one will dispute that the now-annual spectacle of the Commonwealth budget reflects poorly on the current state of governance in Harrisburg. What hasn’t been acknowledged enough, however, is the surreptitious use of this spectacle to undermine environmental protections. Over...
On Wednesday, Dec. 2, PEC attended the 2014-15 Pittsburgh Green Workplace Challenge awards celebration. We are thrilled to announce that as a first time competitor, we took third place in the micro non-profit category. We offer our congratulations to the...
*Lindsay Baxter, PEC Program Manager for Energy & Climate, recaps her third and final week studying energy policy in Germany as part of her three-week McCloy Fellowship in Environmental Policy through the American Council on Germany.* As I wrap up...
*Lindsay Baxter, PEC Program Manager for Energy & Climate, recaps her second week studying energy policy in Germany as part of her three-week McCloy Fellowship in Environmental Policy through the American Council on Germany.* Greetings from Cologne! While my first...
*Lindsay Baxter, PEC Program Manager for Energy & Climate, recaps her first week studying energy policy in Germany as part of her three-week McCloy Fellowship in Environmental Policy through the American Council on Germany.* It’s hard to believe that the first...
When & Where: Oct. 13, 2015 at the Harrisburg Hilton (Harrisburg, Pa.) Detailed Agenda Included Below There is no shortage of environmental challenges facing Pennsylvania, and PEC’s second annual Policy Conference will be covering issues of both national and statewide...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the first-ever proposed federal methane pollution standards for new and modified oil and gas facilities – a landmark announcement and critical first step in reducing the growth of methane and smog-forming emissions...
With the finalization of the Clean Power Plan, the United States has taken a bold step toward addressing climate change. It is only one of many steps that will be necessary, and the time to act is running out. It...
Statistics from this spring’s illegal dumpsite clean ups in Susquehanna and Wayne counties have been tabulated and the numbers are quite impressive! Palmira Miller, program coordinator in PEC’s Northeast office, certainly had a busy season organizing and cleaning up illegal dumpsites...
Since fall of 2014, PEC’s Southwest office has been competing in the Green Workplace Challenge, a friendly competition among employers of all sizes and sectors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through sustainability efforts. The Challenge was established in 2012 by...
PEC had the opportunity to partner with GTECH Strategies and Conservation Consultants, Inc. to host the Regional Energy Efficiency Summit on Tuesday, April 28. This event brought together more than 50 participants including representatives of local and state government, financing...
Lardner’s Point Park is the poster child of how PEC enhances the environment through our partnerships and vision. That vision is being rewarded on Saturday at 11 a.m. as the park will be receiving the Green Parks Award—along with a...
Lardner’s Point Park is the poster child of how PEC enhances the environment through our partnerships and vision. That vision is being rewarded on Saturday at 11 a.m. as the park will be receiving the Green Parks Award—along with a...
Last week the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Oil & Gas Technical Advisory Board (TAB) met to review revisions to a regulatory proposal for managing surface and aquatic impacts from natural gas development. PEC has been named to the TAB...
Yesterday, PEC had the opportunity to join its partners to present “Energy Policy at a Crossroads: Why 2015 is Pivotal…” This program brought experts from Boston, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh for an engaging conversation around the...
An article in the Wall Street Journal this week underscored the reality that any boom in natural resource development – including natural gas – ultimately recedes. Too frequently, the end of the boom results in tremendous environmental and financial burdens...
You have probably heard PEC staff talking about hydroelectricity (hydro for short) a lot in recent years. With 86,000 miles of rivers and streams and topography that is far from flat in much of the state, it seems Pennsylvania would...
This morning (Jan. 14) the White House announced an ambitious and welcome goal of reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas industry 45 percent by 2025. Methane emissions are a considerable threat to climate change, posing over 80 times...
Increased heart beat. Butterflies in the stomach. Sweaty palms. It’s these types of effects that stem from the thrill of competition, and PEC is proud to announce it will be competing in one as 2015 gets underway! Alright, maybe it’s...
Yesterday (Jan. 7), the Commonwealth Court issued an opinion in the challenge brought by the Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation (PEDF) against the Commonwealth. PEDF’s challenge concerned both the legality of leasing public lands for natural gas development, as well as...
At the very tail end of 2014, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) released the fourth in an ongoing series of reports detailing the effects of surface subsidence related to underground coal mining in Pennsylvania. The PA Environmental Digest has...
At the very tail end of 2014, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) released the fourth in an ongoing series of reports detailing the effects of surface subsidence related to underground coal mining in Pennsylvania. The PA Environmental Digest has...
On Dec. 11, 2014, nearly 500 individuals gathered in downtown Pittsburgh to plan for the region’s energy future. The “Energy for the Power of 32” conference brought together scientists, utility companies, policy makers, and environmentalists from the 32 counties surrounding...
On Dec. 11, 2014, nearly 500 individuals gathered in downtown Pittsburgh to plan for the region’s energy future. The “Energy for the Power of 32” conference brought together scientists, utility companies, policy makers, and environmentalists from the 32 counties surrounding...