Local State Rep. Steve Santarsiero has announced a plan that would set Pennsylvania on course for a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Santarsiero said Monday that his proposed legislation (House Bill 2030) would put Pennsylvania in the lead of states addressing the goals of the United Nations COP21 agreement in Paris.
Santarsiero, a Democrat, noted that House Bill 2030 would require the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a plan for reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors, and it would implement strong enforcement mechanisms including incentives for participation.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan could serve as the legislation’s foundation. That plan, according to officials, would require Pennsylvania to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 32 percent by 2030 from power plants alone.
“House Bill 2030 will put Pennsylvania on a course to lead the nation on reversing the damage being done to our environment while also establishing more incentives to invest in renewable energy jobs,” Santarsiero said, adding that Pennsylvania until very recently was at the top of the list of carbon producers. “We can’t allow partisan politics to break our resolve – now is the time to act.”
Santarsiero’s plan would amend existing law to require a plan that would establish benchmarks for greenhouse gas reductions. The legislation calls for a collaborative effort between DEP and other agencies to embrace actions recommended by the Climate Change Advisory Committee. The bill also would “grant those agencies teeth” to reduce emissions not only from power plants, but from agriculture, municipalities, businesses and residences, he said. The plan would leverage incentives to reduce emissions.
“Many believe in a false choice between protecting our planet and growing our economy,” Santarsiero said. “We can leave our children cleaner air and water and offer good-paying jobs in a growing new energy sector while saving taxpayers money. If we work together, we can turn the battle against climate change into a win-win for our Pennsylvania.”
A report last year, prepared for Pennsylvania DEP at the direction of the General Assembly, found that Pennsylvania has warmed 1.8°F in the past 110 years, and the warming will increase at an accelerated rate. By 2050, Pennsylvania will be 5.4°F warmer than it was in the year 2000. By 2050, Philadelphia’s climate will be similar to current-day Richmond, Va., with Pittsburgh’s climate similar to current-day Washington, D.C., or Baltimore.
