Contact: Sarah Corcoran, sarah.corcoran@sierraclub.org
Pennsylvania – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection was awarded $396 million in funding as part of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program implementation awards. The EPA selected 25 total applications from state, local, and regional entities on the frontlines of fighting climate pollution. The grants awarded will support their efforts to develop and implement a variety of strong, local greenhouse gas reduction strategies.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection was awarded funding to create a statewide industrial decarbonization incentive program. The Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) program is estimated to reduce 5.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from the industrial sector by 2030 in support of Pennsylvania’s Priority Climate Action Plan. The industrial sector is the highest emitting sector in the Commonwealth.
“These historic investments in Pennsylvania will allow the commonwealth to begin the critical work of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the industrial sector, which is one of the largest emitters in the state“ said Tom Schuster, Pennsylvania Sierra Club Chapter Director. “Investments in energy efficiency, fuel switching, and other improvements can reap significant climate benefits while creating good jobs and putting more people to work. This is a win for our environment and our economy.”
A full list of recipients of CPRG implementation grants can be found here. All 25 of the climate pollution reduction efforts selected to receive funding align closely with the goals and missions of the Sierra Club’s campaigns, from working to decarbonize the industrial sector, to efforts to electrify homes and buildings, and invest in clean public transportation and zero emission vehicles.
The EPA estimates that the proposed projects would reduce greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 971 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, roughly equating to the emissions from the annual energy use of 5 million average homes’ for over 25 years.
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.