Final PA Climate Change Action Plan Update Forwarded To Governor, General Assembly

On December 31, DEP Secretary Chris Abruzzo forwarded the final version of the PA Climate Change Action Plan Update to Gov. Corbett and members of the Senate and House Environmental Resources and Energy Committees.

The Plan Update transmittal letter, the Plan Update and the Appendices containing individual sector options for future actions are available online.

The final version of the Plan Update was reviewed by DEP’s Climate Change Advisory Committee, but the contents of the report are a combination of recommendations made by Committee members and DEP.  There was no overall vote by the Committee to endorse the Plan.  Any differences between Committee members and DEP are noted in the Plan Update and Appendices, according to DEP.

The Appendices to the Plan Update also include comments on the Plan submitted by individual Committee members starting on page 232.

Overview

The Plan notes there have been significant changes to Pennsylvania’s greenhouse gas emissions since the base year of 2000 used in the Plan resulting in the estimate that overall climate changing emissions from the Commonwealth will be lower in 2020 than in the base year.

The reduction in the use of coal for power generation and the switch to natural gas alone will result in emissions savings of about 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.

The Plan concludes: “Pennsylvania CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions have fallen dramatically, in large part because Pennsylvania is generating more electricity with natural gas instead of coal. However, other factors, including improved energy efficiency standards from consumer products and automobiles have contributed to the decline in carbon emissions. Pennsylvania continues to be a leader in reducing methane emission from the natural gas industry and solid waste landfills. Moreover, further reductions are occurring, and future reductions will occur, through new regulatory requirements like the Tailoring Rule, NSPS, and MACT (new air quality regulations).”

Policy/Program Recommendations

The Plan Update provides options in several sectors--

-- Electricity Production, Transmission and Distribution: Act 129 electricity use reduction, coal mine methane recovery, surface mines and non-gassy underground mines, gassy underground mines, combined heat and power, reducing methane leakage from natural gas infrastructure, waste-to-energy digesters, beneficial use of municipal solid waste (waste-to-energy facilities), nuclear capacity uprates, manure digesters and sulfur hexafluoride emission reductions from the electric power industry;

-- Residential, Commercial and Industrial: building commissioning, demand side management- natural gas and water, high-performance buildings, re-roof Pennsylvania, re-light Pennsylvania, industrial electricity best management practices, heating oil conservation and fuel switching, improved efficiency at wastewater treatment facilities and increased recycling initiative;

-- Land Use and Transportation: alternative fueled transit bus, taxicab fleets, cutting emissions from freight transportation; and

-- Agriculture and Forestry: durable wood products, forest protection easements, forestland protection initiative-acquisition, urban forestry and no-till farming.

Legislative Changes

The Plan Update includes recommendations for legislative changes made by DEP in several areas--

-- Carbon Capture Liability: Address long-term liability issues associated with carbon capture and sequestration;

-- Carbon Capture Incentives: Provide incentives for the capture and use of coal mine methane;

-- DSIC Program Effectiveness: Evaluate the effectiveness of the DSIC (Distribution System Improvement Charges) Program for utilities to determine the impact accelerated natural gas distribution infrastructure replacement has on decreasing fugitive methane emissions;

-- Expand Natural Gas Use: Enact legislative incentivizing and directing natural gas utilities to expand existing service territory to un-serve customers in a cost-effective manner;

-- Alternative Fueled Vehicles: Provide additional incentives for the use of alternative fueled vehicles, including electric and LNG/CNG, particularly by large fuel consumption fleets;

-- Energy Use Profiling: Consider legislative mandating or encouraging energy use profiling for commercial buildings, similar to the City of Philadelphia ordinance;

-- Competitive Energy Markets: Expand competitive electricity markets to foster and encourage renewable and alternative energy suppliers to enter Pennsylvania’s market;

-- Support AEPS: Continue to support the implementation of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards; and

-- Add New Waste-To-Energy To AEPS: Amend the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards to permit the inclusion of additional waste-to-energy facilities.

Climate Impact Assessment

In addition to the Action Plan Update, DEP released a Climate Impacts Assessment Update in October prepared by professors and students at Penn State University’s Environment and Natural Resources Institute.

For more information, visit DEP’s Climate Change Advisory Committee webpage.

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