Today at Gautier Steel in Johnstown, PA, Governor Josh Shapiro addressed Pennsylvania residents regarding the state Energy Programs Office’s Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania program, also known as RISE PA. This program will provide investments to support projects that aim to reduce energy costs and air pollution from industrial facilities while creating thousands of family-sustaining careers.

While this is a welcome announcement, it comes on the heels of last week’s decision allowing the Keystone and Conemaugh coal plants to stay in operation beyond their scheduled lifespan, after receiving a two-year pollution pass for implementing crucial mercury and air toxics protections from the U.S. EPA and consent decrees from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

In response, Carolyn Heckman, Associate Director of Pennsylvania Policy for EEN Action, the advocacy partner of the Evangelical Environmental Network, shared:

“Today's announcement on RISE PA and methane emission reduction is a huge step in the right direction for the over 200,000 children in Pennsylvania attending school within a half mile threat radius of oil and gas production. However, the benefits of RISE PA must be considered together with recent actions: the decision to allow the Keystone and Conemaugh coal-fired plants–the state’s two largest polluting power plants–to continue to operate past their scheduled closing in 2028 without critical pollution controls following the removal of Pennsylvania from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), all the while failing to adequately include clean renewables in the PA Permit Fast Track Program and racing ahead with energy- and water-intensive data center development without proper public input.

“Taken together, these moves amount to “one step forward, four steps back” for Pennsylvania. The maintenance and upgrades required to keep coal plants running past their lifespan cost billions. These costs are ultimately passed down to Pennsylvania’s taxpayers, making the Governor’s promised cost-savings unlikely.

“As a resident of Johnstown, I am concerned about the impact the Keystone and Conemaugh plants’ two-year Mercury and Air Toxics Standard (MATS) pollution pass will have on families like my own. I know firsthand the harms and risks of coal plant pollution. Medical research links soot and mercury pollution to developmental delays and neurological issues such as AuDHD, the lifelong diagnosis my own nonverbal son has following exposure to pollution during pregnancy. This research has proven time and again that coal plant pollution is detrimental to health at all stages of life. With the rollback of federal pollution safeguards on soot, mercury, and other harmful pollutants, it is especially imperative for states like Pennsylvania to step up and do the right thing to defend the health of our children.

“EEN Action calls on the Governor to continue prioritizing the defense of children’s health when making decisions for a diverse, reliable, and affordable energy future. We also call on the Pennsylvania Legislature to put aside their differences and get something done rather than repeating the mistakes of the past at the expense of children like mine suffering from health risks like autism, ADHD, asthma, or worse. As we head into budget negotiations with an already passed House budget, let’s get to work together and do better for our children.”