Pennsylvania has powerful untapped renewable energy potential, generating jobs and clean energy for Pennsylvania consumers. A strong federal standard would accelerate investment and jobs in our state.
- In Pennsylvania, more than 553,000 jobs could see job growth or wage increases by transitioning to a clean energy economy, including jobs for carpenters, electricians, operations managers, machinists, welders and industrial truck drivers.[1]
- Wind power generation in Pennsylvania is growing – Spanish wind energy powerhouse Gamesa Energy has invested about $40 million and created more than 1,000 jobs in the Keystone State since establishing its U.S. headquarters in Philadelphia in 2005.[2] Pennsylvania could get 680 megawatts of electricity from solar by 2020 – which would power enough for almost 80,000 homes. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection says that a 2.5-kilowatt solar system can produce about 3,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year in Pennsylvania – providing one-third a typical home’s consumption and saving each household roughly $300.[3]
- Pennsylvania could produce between 250 million and 1 billion gallons of ethanol.[4] Research by Carnegie Mellon University shows that Pennsylvania could grow 825,000 acres of switchgrass – enough to produce between 250 million and 1 billion gallons of ethanol, depending on the maturity of cellulosic ethanol technology.
- With 58,000 farms and 2.7 million livestock (cattle calves, hog and pigs),[5] Pennsylvania has a huge biogas potential.
Renewable clean energy protects Pennsylvania’s economy and consumers.
- Renewable energy sources – unlike fossil fuels — will not run out and have much more stable prices. Once a renewable energy plant is built, it runs on a free energy supply unlike a traditional fossil fuel energy plant.
- The costs of installing renewable energy plants will fall as the technology becomes more widespread, while the cost of installing and running fossil fuel energy plants will continue to go up due to increased demand and decreased supply.
1 “Job Opportunities in a Green Economy: Pennsylvania Can Gain from Fighting Global Warming,” May 2008. www.bluegreenalliance.org/gjfa. http://www.bluegreenalliance.org/assets/pdf/LWGreenJobsPA0508_05.pdf
2 “Team PA hosts foreign journalists in economic development tour,” Pittsburgh Business Times, August 8, 2008: http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/08/04/daily28.html; “Wind Energy Giant Gamesa Bringing U.S. HQ, Up to 1,000 Jobs to Pennsylvania”: http://www.siteselection.com/ssinsider/pwatch/pw041025.htm.
3 “DEP SECRETARY DEDICATES SOLAR POWER SYSTEM AT DEP SOUTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE: Solar Panels Highlight Benefits of Gov. Rendell’s Energy Independence Strategy,” February 2007, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. http://www.state.pa.us/papower/cwp/view.asp?A=11&Q=460106; Pennsylvania’s Energy Independence, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/energindependent/
4 “State high on switch grass” by Allison H. Heinrichs, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 19 March 2006. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_434764.html
5 2008 State Agricultural Review – Pennsylvania, National Agricultural Statistics Service. http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ag_Overview/AgOverview_PA.pdf