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As the nation's second-largest energy producer and fourth-largest emitter of CO2, Pennsylvania's economic landscape is deeply intertwined with these sectors. Consequently, the impetus for the state's proactive stance on carbon dioxide removal (#CDR) largely originates from the industries themselves, driven by concerns of potential "stranded assets" and liabilities as the transition to clean energy gains momentum.
What are the relevant climate policy frameworks in Pennsylvania?
🎯The Pennsylvania Climate Action Plan 2021 presents a roadmap to achieve the state's greenhouse gas (#GHG) reduction targets: 26% by 2025 and 80% by 2050 from 2005 levels. It outlines 18 strategies across different sectors, with implementation timelines and associated economic factors.
🔔Mandated by the Pennsylvania Climate Change Act, the plan is updated every three years and underscores cost-effective emission reduction, technology integration, and legislative changes.
🌳The Plan sees the Land-Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (#LULUCF) sector as a major carbon sink to achieve its objectives, with plans for 29.5 MMTCO2e of sequestered CO2 annually by 2050. What CDR technologies is Pennsylvania looking at? 🌲
While there is no specific target for CDR technologies, Pennsylvania has set a target to increase the LULUCF sector's removal capacity by approximately 2.9 million metric tons of CO2 per year. Pennsylvania includes biochar as a natural sink in its LULUCF sector targets. 💵Pennsylvania is positioned to lead the way in Class VI primacy, a status that signifies its readiness to oversee carbon storage initiatives. In April, the state's environmental department signalled its intent by vying for a share of a $50 million grant to explore a Carbon Capture and Storage (#CCS) permit program.
⚖️Senate Bill 831, known as the "Carbon Capture and Sequestration Act," was introduced on June 20, 2023, by Pennsylvania State Senators Yaw, Robinson, Stefano, and Vogel. It aims to establish a legal framework for the promotion of geologic storage of CO2. The bill is currently under review by the Pennsylvania Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.
It’s exciting to see a state like Pennsylvania integrating CDR into its climate and energy plans. Its portfolio approach across Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (#CCUS), soil carbon sequestration, Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (#DACCS), and Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (#LULUCF) sector activities, including biochar utilization, is admirable.
📢What do you think about Pennsylvania’s CDR progress? Are there any organizations or individuals you’d like to shout out?
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