Pennsylvania has a pioneering energy history. Our coal miners fueled a world-renowned iron and steel manufacturing industry that brought jobs and prosperity to our state since the 1700’s! The world’s first oil well was drilled in our state in 1859. In 1957, Pennsylvania's Beaver County became home to the first commercial nuclear power plant in the United States. And, as we all know, the recent boom in natural gas drilling and processing has been explosive in our state.

Today, Pennsylvania has the opportunity to leverage our long history as an energy trailblazer by taking leadership in the world’s transition to clean energy. We have the skills, the institutions, the history, and an incredibly resourceful state, which allows us to claim our place as industry leaders… looking to the future, not the past. At the same time, as one of the top three states in greenhouse gas emissions, Pennsylvania must take responsibility to address the climate crisis, which threatens the future for all.

From the early days the captains of the fossil fuel industry have called the shots in Pennsylvania. Many of our politicians have forgotten they serve the citizens of PA and not corporations. The dangers of fracking, including claims of poisoned water and increased rates of cancer, and the danger of pipelines carrying highly explosive gas through Pennsylvania communities have alarmed citizens who have tried in vain to seek the help of our elected leaders. Additionally, by focusing our resources on natural gas extraction, our state runs the risk of being precariously dependent on one industry, putting not only our environment and communities at risk, but also our future economy.

The environmental consequences of burning carbon are clear: we face increasing weather chaos, rising seas, endangered cities and farms, dying wildlife and displaced populations of people and animals fleeing the effects of climate change. And, of course, the follow-on economic impact of all these disasters. We’ve been led to believe that fracked gas is a bridge fuel to renewable energy, yet there is no bridge. It is instead a dead end that is leaving us with continued dependence on fossil fuels well past the time we have available to address this critical challenge. This dependence is accompanied by a debt burden from investment in fracked gas infrastructure that will last for decades.

There is a viable alternative - producing electricity from clean and safe renewable resources such as solar, wind, hydro, biomass and geothermal. Pennsylvanian’s are taking the first steps to produce renewable energy that will someday replace the coal, oil, and gas that has traditionally powered our state. Energy produced by industrial arrays of solar panels and wind turbines is flowing from rural areas to towns and cities. Roof-top solar and geothermal wells are increasing in neighborhoods throughout the region. But change is too slow in coming. With urgency, our policies and investments must be directed full speed ahead to accelerate the growth of renewable energy to power our homes, businesses and vehicles safely and efficiently, as we join the global struggle to avoid climate catastrophe.