Senator Costa Announces New Effort to Significantly Reduce Pennsylvania Power-Sector Carbon Pollution

HARRISBURG, PA (June 6, 2019) – This morning, Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) circulated a cosponsor memo to establish a power-sector cap-and-invest program that would significantly reduce emissions of carbon pollution from Pennsylvania power plants.  The memo stated that Senator Costa will soon introduce the “Energy Innovation and Investment Act,” a bill that would direct Pennsylvania’s Environmental Quality Board (EQB) to develop a market-based approach to combating climate change. It would lead to a 90% reduction in power-sector carbon emissions by 2040 (from 2016 levels), while also raising revenue to fund important Pennsylvania programs and priorities, including clean energy, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.

Joseph Otis Minott, Esq., Executive Director and Chief Counsel of Clean Air Council, issued the following statement:

“I commend Senator Costa for his leadership on this important issue.  The electric power sector is responsible for over one-third of Pennsylvania’s net greenhouse gas emissions, and our power plants emit more CO2 than those in all nine current RGGI states combined.  Putting a price on carbon and capping emissions from the power sector is a critical, concrete policy step that will help Pennsylvania meet the GHG reduction goals set by Governor Wolf. We have a lot of work to do, but the Energy Innovation and Investment Act is a game changer.”