Upcoming BIL/IRA Webinars
December 10, 2024 @ 1:00PM ET – World Resources Institute – “Integrating Elective Pay Tax Credits into Government Procurement and RFPs” will cover how tax-exempt entities can integrate elective pay into their procurement and bidding processes. Register Here.
December 13, 2024 @ Noon – Watts and Learn: Solar Tariffs and Inflation Reduction Act in 2025 – PA Solar Center will host a fireside chat to discuss potential changes to the Inflation Reduction Act and solar tariffs under the new federal administration. Register Here.
January 14th & 15th, 2025 – Save the Date and register for ReImagine Appalachia’s 5th annual virtual Strategy Summit. Help Reimagine Appalachia shape its 2025 work plan and hear from experts on manufacturing, local government & federal funding.
BIL/IRA Grant Program Updates/Reports
- Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) – Application Guidance, Public Feedback Form & Program Information Sheets Released. RISE PA is a $396 million statewide industrial decarbonization grant program funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grants under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. PA DEP will begin accepting applications in early 2025. A November 21, 2024 PA DEP PPT Presentation is available below & linked HERE. A PA DEP Information Sheet is Here. Grant Program Guidance is A RISE PA Public Feedback Form is Here.
- RISE PA sets stage for Pennsylvania to lead industrial decarbonization revolution by Justine Hackimer, Ohio River Valley Institute, December 3, 2024.
- What climate funding remains from the IRA? by Tom Taylor, Atlas Climate Portal; Oct. 25, 2024 (Climate Portal Dashboard is updated regularly). As of December 6, 2024, $72.6 Billion in IRA grants have been awarded to 7,136 projects in the US.
- Reimagine Appalachia – Post Election: Inflation Reduction Act & Progress to Date – November 18, 2024
- EPA Region 3 Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program – GHHI’s APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR 2-YEAR GRANTS – To ensure that all eligible entities have sufficient time to complete applications for 2-year grants and seek technical assistance, GHHI has extended the deadline for applications to December 30, 2024. See More at GHHI’s Thriving Communities webpage.
NEW PA State & Local BIL/IRA Reports & Announcements
Nonprofits, Philanthropy Create Infrastructure for Influx of Nearly $1 Billion in Regional, Statewide Clean Energy Funding – Heinz Endowments, December 4, 2024 — Nonprofits, government and non-governmental organizations, and philanthropies with deep connections to the Pittsburgh region are offering a variety of programs to guide and simplify the processes for accessing support for clean energy projects, creating infrastructure that has played a major role in providing nearly $1 billion in clean energy funding for Pennsylvania over the past 18 months. This represents an unprecedented influx of state and federal support for clean energy in Pennsylvania, including a just-announced $303.5 million closed loan from the Department of Energy for Eos Energy Enterprises, and has made the Pittsburgh region a clean energy gateway for the state. The programs and organizations driving the clean energy workforce investments include Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA), Pennsylvania Solar Center, Southwestern Pennsylvania Municipal Project Hub (SWPA Project Hub), Capital Good Fund, Pittsburgh Gateways Corporation, and Eos Energy Enterprises.
DOE Announces $303.5 Million Loan Guarantee to Eos Energy Enterprises to Advance Next Generation Battery Energy Storage Systems – DOE Press Release – December 3, 2024 – Funding Will Support Two Pennsylvania-Based Manufacturing Facilities Developing Innovative Long-Duration Batteries, Strengthen Grid Resilience, and Create Up to 1,000 High-Quality Union Jobs – DOE’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced the closing of a $303.5 million loan guarantee ($277.5 million of principal and $26 million of capitalized interest) to Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc. (Eos) to finance the construction of two state-of-the-art production lines that will be able to produce enough stationary batteries per year to annual electricity needs of approximately 130,000 homes.
Eos Energy secures $300 million loan for Turtle Creek battery factory – By Garrett Behanna, KDKA News, December 4, 2024
Allegheny Conference On Community Development Press Release on Eos Energy Storage Announcement – December 6, 2024
Pittsburgh-based Eos Energy Secures $303 Million Loan To Scale Up Clean Energy Storage – By Kiley Koscinski, December 6, 2024, WESA – Eos’ “Project American Made Zinc Energy” (AMAZE) is expected to manufacture 8GWh of storage capacity annually by 2026. That’s enough electricity to power more than 300,000 U.S. homes at once.
Innovative Manufacturers Center Secures Federal Grants To Drive Green Energy Manufacturing – December 7, 2024 Williamsport Sun-Gazette – The Innovative Manufacturers Center (IMC), a public-private partnership dedicated to supporting small & medium manufacturers (SMMs) in Central Pennsylvania, has been awarded two grants aimed at advancing technology adoption and green energy manufacturing in the region.
$40 Million+ Heading To PA Farms To Increase Climate Resilience – by Rachel McDevitt, WITF, StateImpactPA – December 2, 2024 – PA’s farms could become more resilient to severe weather brought on by climate change thanks to $40.8 million in federal grants.
New PA Solar Project Announcements & Solar Reports
GUIDEBOOK FOR PENNSYLVANIA MUNICIPALITIES – Large-Scale Solar Development by PA Solar Center & Fair Shake – November 19, 2024 – Full Report – An article on PA Solar Center’s Webinar (from Pa Env. Digest Blog) is Here.
My School District Saved Over A Million Dollars In Energy Costs By Going Solar, With Solar For Schools Your District Could Be Next – By Colleen Friend, Carlisle Area School District, TribLive Guest Essay – November 18, 2024
Central Cambria School District Considering Solar Energy To Save Up to $500,000 Over Next 25 Years – by Matt Churella, Staff Writer, Altoona Mirror
Centre County Solar Energy Facility Takes Big Step As State College Area School District Commits To Project – By Jacob Michael, Nov. 20, 2024 – Centre Daily Times.
Ten reasons why small-scale, non-utility solar is important – by Ryan Kennedy – PV Magazine, December 5, 2024 – Behind-the-meter solar for homes, businesses, and communities comes with numerous benefits, says Stanford professor Mark Jacobson.
Eleven Reasons Why Behind-the-Meter Distributed PV Lowers Electricity, Health, and Climate Costs for Everyone – Mark Z. Jacobson, Stanford University – October 11, 2024
The US is making and deploying more solar panels than ever before by Eric Wesoff, Canary Media – December 6, 2024 – The IRA has caused solar panel manufacturing capacity to quintuple, revived domestic cell production & sparked a surge in deployments. Despite the policy uncertainty from a 2nd Trump administration, the outlook for U.S. solar is generally positive, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight Q4 2024 Report from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie. This year, the solar industry is set to break installation records & achieve significant manufacturing milestones, including the return of silicon solar cell production to the U.S. for the first time since 2019.
Gov. Shapiro’s Fast Track Permit Executive Order
Gov. Shapiro Signs Executive Order Creating PA Permit Fast Track Program – PA EN Blog by David Hess – November 19, 2024 – Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Executive Order 2024-04, creating the PA Permit Fast Track Program to streamline the Commonwealth’s permitting process for key economic development and infrastructure projects.
Shapiro Signs Executive Order Aimed At Streamlining Permitting Process For Infrastructure Projects – by: John Cole – November 19, 2024, PA Capital-Star
Gov. Shapiro Highlights PA Permit Fast Track Program In Luzerne County – by Maggie Zaleski, WNEP News – November 20, 2024
New Blog Post on Remote Sensors & Environmental Policy
Remote Sensing-Based Monitoring Networks for the Next Generation of Energy and Environmental Policymaking – John Quigley – December 5, 2024 – Kleinman Center for Energy Policy – Revolutions in remote sensing technologies and data science offer the potential to transform environmental policymaking and meet the existential challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
NEW PA Reports, Announcements & Opinion Pieces
Decoding Trump’s climate priorities — or lack thereof by Sanya Carley, U Penn – Kleinman Center, Nov. 25, 2024 Op Ed, Philadelphia Inquirer – As the reality of a 2nd Trump term sets in, and at the same time as annual global climate negotiations are underway in Baku, Azerbaijan, many are questioning the implications of a Trump 2.0 presidency for energy and the climate. The answer, I believe, requires a bit of guesswork about his priorities & an understanding of the extent of his powers in reversing the energy transition.
Gov. Shapiro, State Legislature Must Act As Bulwark Against New Republican Environmental Rollbacks – By Molly Parzen, Conservation Voters of PA – Bucks County Beacon Guest Essay – November 26, 2024.
Democratic Rep. Dan Miller Announces Bid For Allegheny County Judge – By Chris Potter, 90.5 WESA, December 4, 2024
When It Comes To Energy Policy, Pennsylvania Needs a Reset – By Senator Lisa Boscola – 18th PA Senatorial District, December 4, 2024 – PA is uniquely positioned to be a leader in producing the needed electricity to meet the increasing demands of the PJM grid without breaking everyone’s bank. However, to do this effectively we need to change our approach to setting energy policy. We need a sound energy policy set around a vision to develop and grow Pennsylvania’s power generation. Our energy policy is currently implemented across at least three different departments (Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources, Dept. of Environmental Protection, and Dept. of Community and Economic Development), two agencies (Public Utilities Commission and Game Commission), and the Governor’s office. The stakes are too high for our grid to continue this fragmented approach. We cannot operate as we always have and expect better results. Merging energy issues into a single department will make our policy more cohesive. By establishing a department dedicated solely to energy, led by an appointed secretary, we would be sending a clear message about the importance of energy policy in Pennsylvania. Energy decisions must be at the forefront of our policymaking. By appointing someone visible and accountable to the Legislature and the Governor we will elevate the importance of energy policy.
Keystone Gas Gouge: Gas Export Push Could Stick Pennsylvania Consumers With $16 Billion Bill – November 25, 2024 – PA’s households, businesses and electric power plants could pay up to $16 billion more on gas bills if the U.S. continues to accelerate exports of liquefied gas (LNG) to overseas customers. Full Report.
PECO to purchase energy from what will be the largest utility-based solar procurement in Pa. by Susan Phillips, WHYY, November 13, 2024 – The project will be just 1% of PECO’s total energy mix, enough to provide electricity to 3,000 homes. But climate activists see it as a win and good first step. What makes this agreement unique is that PECO will pay the solar provider for the electricity as well as for providing the capacity — meaning the provider gets paid to guarantee 25 MW of solar will be available to PECO.
The Energy Justice Advocates say this sends “a stronger long-term price signal, directing investment to solar development in the state.” For more info contact – Devin McDougall
Slag Heap Goes Solar: New 15-Acre Solar Energy Facility To Break Ground In Pittsburgh by Colleen Hammond, Next Generation News/The Allegheny Front – November 27, 2024.
Utility law will lapse after Pa. legislature deadlocks on expanding consumer protections – by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA – Dec. 3, 2024
Letter: An ‘economic boon’? Let’s be clear on what fracking brings to Pa. – By Katie Jones, Ohio River Valley coordinator, FracTracker Alliance, Johnstown – Erie Times-News November 21, 2024 – Fracking has not been an “economic boon” for the state, despite claims by fracking proponents that job creation is a significant benefit of the industry. The biggest gas-producing counties in Pennsylvania lost both population and jobs between 2008 to 2019. As of March 2024, only 16,831 jobs were directly related to fracking, which accounts for less than one half of 1% of the state’s workforce.
National News Clips on BIL/IRA Implementation
Biden’s team pushes to get money out the door in final weeks – by Yasmeen Abutaleb, November 22, 2024 – Washington Post – Officials are optimistic that Trump will have difficulty blocking spending from Biden’s programs, and may not want to. But they’re preparing, just in case.
DOE Loan Programs Office races to get cleantech money out as Trump looms By Akielly Hu, Canary Media, December 5, 2024 – The office helped Tesla get its start and has lent billions to everything from transmission line projects to battery manufacturers. Its future is uncertain under Trump.
What Trump’s second administration could mean for environmental justice by Amudalat Ajasa and Anna Phillips, December 8, 2024, Washington Post & PPG – Some of Trump’s allies, including some members of Congress, have targeted environmental justice programs for elimination
Biden fills clean energy stockings with billions by JOEL KIRKLAND and ARIANNA SKIBELL, Politico
Repealing the Inflation Reduction Act would harm US businesses by Dan McCarthy, Nov. 27, 2024 Canary Media – Trump says he wants to gut the climate law. A recent survey of 929 U.S clean energy companies shows doing so would have a devastating effect. The Report by the nonprofit E2, which focuses on climate jobs, targeted employers in energy efficiency, energy storage, transportation, and other industries. Most of the surveyed firms (61 percent) have been in business for over a decade.
Automakers to Trump: Please Require Us to Sell Electric Vehicles by Coral Davenport and Jack Ewing, November 21, 2024 – New York Times – Donald J. Trump promised to erase Biden tailpipe rules that are designed to get carmakers to produce E.V.s. But Detroit wants to keep them. Three of the nation’s largest automakers, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, are strategizing with other car manufacturers on how to make a delicate request of President-elect Donald J. Trump: Don’t scrap the federal regulations that compel the industry to sell electric vehicles.
What Trump’s Treasury pick means for clean energy tax credits – by Jason Plautz | E&E News by Politico – November 25, 2024 – Scott Bessent has called the Inflation Reduction Act a “doomsday machine for the budget.”
Trump’s Picks to Run the EPA, the Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior – by Steve Curwood, Living on Earth, Inside Climate News – November 23, 2024 — Trump could reverse the nation’s progress on climate change, but rolling back the Biden administration’s significant climate successes could be a low, slow and difficult process.
Republican Administration Has Threatened Energy Efficiency, Weatherization Programs; What Happens Now? – Robert Walton Senior Reporter, Utility Dive, November 20, 2024 – Manufacturers say they want certainty for their products and supply chains and could press the Trump administration to double the time between efficiency standard reviews.
Will Trump’s plan to kill the EV tax credit help China? By Jeff St. John, Canary Media, November 25, 2024 – The $7,500 tax credit requires EVs to source battery materials outside China. Cutting it could undermine investment in the U.S. battery supply chain.
How Proposed Republican Tariffs Might Affect Commodities And Energy – By Reuters, November 26, 2024
What Republican Tariffs Could Mean For America Energy – By Shelby Webb, David Ferris, Jason Plautz, Brian Dabbs, E&E News/Politico, November 27, 2024 – The prospect of added costs on products has big implications for businesses and consumers across the energy landscape — including at the gasoline pump.
‘Drill, Drill, Drill:’ New Federal Energy Council Signals Incoming Republican Administration To Prioritize Energy Production – by Jacob Fischler – November 17, 2024 – PA Capital-Star
PJM News & Notes on Energy Demand Increases
PJM boosts gas in contentious grid plan – by Peter Behr, December 5, 2024, E&E News by Politico – The eastern grid manager would push natural gas generation into action ahead of wind and solar as tech companies ratchet up demand. The PJM proposal has sparked broad protests from renewable energy developers, climate policy advocates and state consumer protection agencies.
Some Renewable Energy Developers Urge PJM To Drop Fast-Track Interconnection Plan Saying It Is A Blatant Attempt To Favor Data Center Power Developers – By Ethan Howland, December 4, 2024 – Utility Dive
ECP plan to buy 5.3 GW could drive up PJM capacity prices – By Ethan Howland, Utility Dive, November 27, 2024 – Energy Capital Partners should say whether it intends to divert the plants’ output to supply data centers, according to Public Citizen, Private Equity Stakeholder Project and the Sierra Club.
Constellation Energy Asks FERC For PJM Rules On Data Centers And Other Co-Located Loads – by Ethan Howland, November 26, 2024 – Utility Dive
US Natural Gas Producers Chase AI-Driven Surge In Power Demand To Weather Low Prices by Mrinalika Roy, Reuters, November 21, 2024
Data-Center Reliance On Fossil Fuels May Delay Clean Energy Transition – By Valerie Volcovici and Laila Kearney, Reuters, November 26, 2024
AI’s Hunger For Electric Power Is Threatening US Climate Goals – by Evan Halper, Washington Post, November 21, 2024 – Electric utility companies are building more power plants that will burn natural gas to meet demands of a data center construction boom.
Focus on Environmental Health in PA
Environmental Health Network Releases 2024 Year in Review – This year EHP continued to lead the conversation about health impacts of shale gas development by launching the latest cohort of our HealthWatch community engagement program in New York State, updating our continuing education materials for health care professionals nationwide, connecting with decision makers on more health-protective policies, and mapping pollution dispersion from existing and planned petrochemical facilities in the region. See Full Report Here.
Protecting Public Health Means Enforcing Environmental Regulations While Helping Businesses Thrive – Guest Essay Jessica Shirley, Acting DEP Secretary – from PennLive, November 21, 2024 (reprinted in PaEN).
RGGI Update: In Case You Missed It – Virginia State Court Ruling
Court rules against Youngkin’s withdrawal from carbon cap-and-trade market by Gregory S. Schneider & Laura Vozzella – November 20, 2024 – Washington Post: A spokesman for Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) said the governor plans to appeal the ruling, which was celebrated by environmental advocates. A circuit court judge has ruled that Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s effort to remove Virginia from a carbon cap-and-trade market called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was unlawful and must be rescinded, a victory for environmental advocates who said the governor had overstepped his authority by negating a law passed by the General Assembly.
Press Release – November 20, 2024 – Southern Environmental Law Center: Virginia can’t be pulled out of RGGI – Court rules that the Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and its director lack authority to remove the state from RGGI. The court explained that the “only body with the authority to repeal the RGGI Regulation would be the General Assembly . . . because a statute, the RGGI Act, requires the RGGI Regulation to exist.”
Press Release – November 21, 2024 – Environmental Defense Fund: Court rules against Youngkin Administration’s unlawful RGGI withdraw, Charlottesville, VA — In a significant ruling, the Circuit Court of Floyd County ruled that the Youngkin administration acted unlawfully in its decision to withdraw Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
A Virginia Circuit Court Finds Youngkin’s Withdrawal from RGGI ‘Unlawful’ – Inside Climate News – by Jake Bolster – November 21, 2024 – Environmentalists and trade groups breathed a sigh of relief, while the governor promised to appeal the ruling. From 2020 to 2023, when Virginia was a member of RGGI, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data shows the commonwealth’s power sector emissions dropped by almost 22 percent. The state raised $827.7 million in that time, according to an analysis by the Virginia Conservation Network.
Court Rules Virginia’s Removal From Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Was ‘Unlawful’ – by Lauren Hines-Acosta, November 20, 2024, Chesapeake Bay Journal.