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US Green Economy Report Series: Pennsylvania

US Green Economy Report Series: Pennsylvania

Full Title: US Green Economy Report Series: Pennsylvania
Author(s): UK Government, Climate Advisers, University of Maryland’s Center for Global Sustainability
Publisher(s): UK Government, Climate Advisers, University of Maryland’s Center for Global Sustainability
Publication Date: April 29, 2021
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):

In 2019, Pennsylvania Governor Tim Wolf’s Executive Order set a GHG reduction target of 26-28 percent of 2005 levels by 2025 and 80 percent by 2050. Under Wolf’s leadership, Pennsylvania joined both the US Climate Alliance and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. His actions build on previous climate initiatives, such as the establishment of the 2004 Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, which required that 18 percent of electricity come from alternative energy sources, such as solar, waste coal and hydropower. However, the fossil fuel industry constitutes a large part of Pennsylvania’s economy; the Marcellus Shale formation helps make the state the second-largest natural gas producer in the country. Also, Pennsylvania ranks second in coal production and third in coal exports. Renewables, including hydroelectric power, account for approximately 6 percent of electricity generation because nuclear, natural gas and coal remain dominant. While Governor Wolf has prioritized addressing climate change, the state’s legislature, controlled by Republicans, has instead focused on supporting the state’s fossil fuel sector.

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