Pennsylvania has cut its greenhouse gas emissions by nearly a quarter since 2005, the baseline used in the Paris Climate Agreement, thanks to our holistic energy development approach. The two states at the heart of the Marcellus and Utica shale natural gas industry—Pennsylvania and Ohio—have accounted for 16% of the entire country’s CO2 reductions since 2005. The state sits upon the world’s second-largest natural gas supply, and that should translate into inexpensive electricity for the state’s residents and businesses even while continuing to embrace technology and innovation that continually improve our environment. Since 2000, average levels of nitrogen dioxide, which causes smog and helps form ozone, have dropped 60% in the Pittsburgh region. The state should align its programs and policies to ensure that its residents and businesses benefit from affordable power to give them the best chance to thrive in the new post-COVID reality. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission should work with the private sector and other stakeholders to facilitate broader adoption of technology such as cogeneration plants and microgrids as affordable, environmentally sustainable energy for manufacturing facilities.
