WASHINGTON (March 3, 2015) — Today, Gov. Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania delivered an address laying out his budget plan, which proposes a $325 million investment in the energy sector, including renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. This provision is part of an overall economic development plan aimed at creating high-paying jobs across the commonwealth.
Below is a statement by Jeremy Richardson, senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“Gov. Wolf demonstrated some great, forward thinking today. Investing in renewables and efficiency would take advantage of the state’s enormous potential for clean energy technology by helping diversify local Pennsylvania economies. Such measures would also create additional high-paying jobs on top of the 57,000 clean energy jobs that already exist in Pennsylvania. This is critical for coal communities facing job losses during the transition to a clean energy economy.
“Extractive industries like coal and natural gas are subject to boom and bust cycles, and once these resources are out of the ground, the jobs are gone for good. Gov. Wolf is to be commended for looking beyond the current boom in natural gas production, opting to invest in the long-term growth of the state’s economy.
“A recent UCS analysis found that Pennsylvania could increase its renewable energy resources from 4 percent of electricity sales in 2013 to at least 19 percent by 2030, just by growing renewable energy at the rate other states have demonstrated is achievable and affordable. This substantial investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency could go a long way towards making that goal a reality.”
For more information, please see Richardson's accompanying blog post, Pennsylvania Governor Proposes Big Investments in Renewable Energy and Efficiency.