Ohio River Valley Institute's A Clean Energy Pathway for Southwestern Pennsylvania

Summary:

Due to its abundance of fossil fuel resources, southwestern Pennsylvania has a long history of substantial energy production, often at the expense of local environmental quality and economic diversity. A new report, produced by Strategen for the Ohio River Valley Institute, offers a new decarbonization pathway for the 10-county region, which would advance the local economy, boost employment, and reduce harmful, climate-warming emissions more effectively and at a lower cost than other pathways.

To date, the prevailing narrative for decarbonizing this region has centered around the perpetuation of the natural gas industry and costly investments in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies and infrastructure. Strategen’s analysis provides an alternative approach focused primarily on zero emissions resources, energy efficiency, increased electrification, and leveraging clean energy imports from outside the region, while minimizing the local need for fossil fuels.

The ORVI/Strategen Clean Energy Pathway: 

  • Cuts CO2 emissions in the power sector by 92% by 2035 and 97% by 2050, placing the region on track to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2050 in accordance with international climate goals.

  • Supports 12,416 jobs by 2035 and 15,353 jobs by 2050 via efficiency expenditures and residential bill savings.

  • Yields annual environmental and health benefits of more than $2.5 billion by 2035 and $4.2 billion by 2050.

  • Costs 13% less than a pathway reliant on energy produced with natural gas and utilizing carbon capture technologies.

PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW TO ACCESS THE REPORT:

ReportsStrategen Consulting, Inc.