Ohio River Valley Institute's A Roadmap for Industrial Decarbonization in Pennsylvania
Summary:
Pennsylvania’s industrial sector has been the state’s economic driver for more than a century, contributing more than $113 billion in domestic product and providing 11% of the commonwealth’s jobs. Consequently, the sector is also responsible for one-third of Pennsylvania’s greenhouse gas emissions and is the largest-emitting sector in the commonwealth’s economy.
“A Roadmap for Industrial Decarbonization in Pennsylvania,” produced by Strategen Consulting for the Ohio River Valley Institute, offers the first Pennsylvania-specific decarbonization plan to achieve significant emissions reductions as soon as 2030. By transitioning away from fossil fuel generation, fast-tracking electrification, increasing energy efficiency, and leveraging material efficiency, fuel switching, and carbon capture technologies, the analysis shows that implementation of these pathways could lead to substantial emissions reductions, with an estimated 84% reduction by 2050, and yield significant benefits for local economies, public health, and the environment.
Projected Emissions Reductions, Pennsylvania, 2019-2050:
“While decarbonizing Pennsylvania’s industrial sector is no small task, doing so is critical to achieving climate targets, boosting economic growth statewide, and securing a better future for Pennsylvania families,” Joe Goodenbery, a senior manager at Strategen Consulting and lead author of the report, said. Pennsylvania’s Climate Action Plan 2021 aims to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 from 2005 levels. The significant industrial emissions reductions described in the roadmap will be crucial to reaching the Commonwealth’s climate goals.
“The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) present a remarkable opportunity for Pennsylvania to lead the industrial decarbonization movement,” said Louie Krak, Energy Infrastructure Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Governor’s Office of Critical Investments. “By mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants, Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) seeks to uplift environmental protection and catalyze a sustainable future. Making these critical investments will help establish a pathway for Pennsylvania’s transition to clean and sustainable energy.”
By avoiding the societal costs of greenhouse gas emissions, the decarbonization roadmap yields $14 billion in annual savings by 2050. The pathway, which comes at a total unsubsidized cost of under $35 billion, benefits public health and addresses environmental injustices across Pennsylvania by sharply reducing point-source industrial emissions.
“Continuing with business as usual means sacrificing the health of our families, the well-being of our climate, and the strength of our economy,” said Joanne Kilgour, Executive Director of the Ohio River Valley Institute. “Decarbonizing our industrial sector helps us build a better future for all Pennsylvanians, and our new analysis outlines how we can achieve unprecedented emissions reductions with an appropriate sense of urgency.”
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