Policies will jump-start clean energy economy
Contact: Jennifer Quinn, Legislative and Political Director, Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter, jen.quinn@sierraclub.org
HARRISBURG, PA — Late yesterday, a package of six bills was introduced in the Pennsylvania General Assembly that would implement the Lightning Plan that Governor Josh Shapiro unveiled in January. The package includes policies to accelerate renewable energy development, reduce energy waste, limit climate-disrupting pollution, and incentivize clean manufacturing.
Over 21% of our nation’s electricity comes from renewable sources, and that share is growing every year. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania lags seriously behind in this transition — our current clean energy standards require a mere 8% of our electricity to come from clean sources. A critically important piece of the Lightning Plan is the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS), which would raise those standards to 35% by 2035 and 50% by 2050. Getting more diverse clean energy on the grid will not only improve our air and water quality and protect our climate and public health, but it will also spur innovation in energy technologies and strengthen our economy by creating jobs and making energy more affordable for businesses and industry.
In response, Jen Quinn, Legislative and Political Director of the Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter, released the following statement:
Governor Shapiro’s Lightning Plan is a sensible yet ambitious plan that will improve grid reliability, stabilize consumer prices, and allow Pennsylvania to continue its role as a leader in energy production. It’s also the most significant energy policy to be introduced in decades.
Demand for electricity has been skyrocketing, driven mostly by the proliferation of AI data centers, and prices have followed suit. Meanwhile, an over-reliance on gas-fired power plants and an increasing frequency of climate change-driven extreme weather events threaten the reliability of our grid. As Governor Shapiro has said many times, ‘Doing nothing is not an option.’ We agree and look forward to supporting Governor Shapiro’s continued leadership to advance this energy plan through the legislature.
About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.