Pennsylvania union leaders and environmentalists are joining forces to support Gov. Josh Shapiro’s bid to cut industrial pollution as EPA weighs which states deserve up to $500 million in federal cash to implement their climate plans.
The Democrat is seeking $475 million to create Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA), which would subsidize new industrial equipment, electrification and energy efficiency upgrades.
It’s the Keystone State’s big swing at federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grants, a $4.3 billion pot of money created under the Inflation Reduction Act. The program has sent $3 million to states to create climate plans, followed by a competition for federal funding to implement those plans. EPA will award a few states as much as $500 million each, while others would get smaller grants.
State applications were due to EPA by midnight Monday. The agency anticipates choosing winners around July — with preference given to states that are pitching a “transformative impact” with near-term emissions reductions, along with high-quality jobs as well as benefits to environmental justice communities.
