Pa Invests $10 Million In New Clean Energy Projects
Coal-rich Pennsylvania is adding renewable energy sources to its portfolio. The state is investing $10 million in clean energy projects to attract private investments in the state’s burgeoning renewable energy sector, Governor Ed Rendell announced Monday.
“Pennsylvania is changing the way clean energy is produced and distributed,” said Governor Rendell. “These grants will leverage private investments to deploy the next generation of clean, renewable energy sources made in Pennsylvania. We are putting Pennsylvania at the front of the line in one of the most dynamic industry sectors in the world and creating jobs that lift up commonwealth families and help our businesses grow.” The governor made $5 million in grants available for Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) funding.
Applicants for PEDA financing can seek grant assistance for capital costs for innovative, advanced energy projects and for businesses interested in locating their advanced energy operations in the state.
Eligible PEDA projects may include solar energy, wind, low-impact hydropower, geothermal, biologically derived methane gas, including landfill gas, biomass, fuel cells, coal-mine methane, waste coal, integrated gasification combined cycle, and clean, alternative fuels for transportation.
In addition PEDA applications will be considered for demand management measures, including recycled energy and energy recovery, energy efficiency and load management.
In addition, $5 million was made available for the fourth round of funding under the Pennsylvania Energy Harvest Grant Program.
Energy Harvest grants will fund innovative energy deployment projects that emphasize protecting Pennsylvanias air or water quality while supporting economic development and enhancing the quality of life.
Eligible proposals include renewable energy deployment, including biomass energy, waste coal reclamation for energy, deployment of innovative energy efficiency technologies, and distributed generation projects.
Pennsylvania’s alternative energy portfolio standard requires that 18% of all energy generation comes from clean, efficient sources by 2020.
Benefits of the policy include $10 billion in increased output for the commonwealth, $3 billion in additional earnings and as many as 4,000 new jobs for residents over the next 20 years, say state officials.
Today Pennsylvania produces enough clean energy to power some 70,000 homes and clean energy is a growing industry in the state. Gamesa, the second largest wind energy company in the world, is investing $84 million in Pennsylvania for four manufacturing facilities and its North American headquarters, creating some 1,000 jobs.
The nation’s first coal gasification-liquefaction plant is proposed for Schuylkill County. Waste Management and Processors Inc. plans to build a waste-coal-to-diesel plant. Construction would create as many as 1,000 jobs, and operating the plant would produce another 600 permanent, high-paying positions, according to state estimates.
The proposed plant would clean up tens of millions of tons of waste coal while giving the state and consumers clean diesel at a fraction of the market price.
The East Coast’s first commercially biofuels storage and blending system in is planned for Middletown, in Dauphin County. The plant will replace 3.2 million gallons of foreign oil with domestically produced biodiesel and will keep about $6 million worth of energy dollars in Pennsylvania by reducing the states need to purchase imported fuels.
Provided by the Environmental News Service.
