PA Senate Democrats

FOR EVERY PENNSYLVANIAN

Jobs

Clean Air, Water, Energy

Despite the distractions and denials, climate change remains an existential crisis. A clean energy future is necessary to provide the commonwealth’s workers and residents with family-sustaining jobs, renewable and reliable energy, and healthy, sustainable communities. Pennsylvania Senate Democrats support policies that focus on transitioning workers and communities to emerging energy jobs, working with our labor leaders to forge a path to this future, and ensuring environmental justice is achieved equitably in all communities.

  • Reinvent the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard as the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS) to require increased energy generation from renewable, green energy resources.
  • Enact the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Program (PACER) to reduce carbon emissions and put money into communities transitioning to a green energy future.
  • Work with labor leaders and workers to move a clean and green energy economy forward to provide good paying, family-sustaining jobs.
  • Toxic school buildings are a threat to the health and safety of our students and teachers. The ramifications of lead and mold exposure have a direct impact on students’ ability to learn. Substandard heating and cooling systems add additional stress to working environments. We must ensure that our public school buildings do not distract from the education of our students, nor put them or our public employees in harm’s way.
  • Update Act 129, our Commonwealth’s primary energy efficiency and conservation program, to reduce energy consumption and lower utility bills.
  • Support a sustainable agriculture system that ensures healthy food for consumers, as well as profitability for our farmers.

As federal environmental regulations are weakened or dismantled by the Trump administration, Senate Democrats support upholding important air, water and soil protections and protecting the public, including workers, from toxic chemicals and pollution.