Despite Pennsylvania’s relatively low energy consumption per capita, it ranks as the second-largest net supplier of energy to other states in the US. This is due to the Keystone state’s abundance of fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, and refined petroleum products. While all these energy sources are undoubtedly prosperous for the state’s economy, their production and usage have catastrophic impacts on the environment, disrupting local ecosystems, polluting air and water supplies, adding to the emission of greenhouses gases, and thereby contributing to global warming. As such, it is crucial for the Pennsylvania legislature to take immediate action to decrease the use of these fossil fuels and to incentivize the use of cleaner energy sources.

The Marcellus shale, which runs through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Maryland, New York, and West Virginia, has the largest estimated proved serve of any US natural gas field, making it a lucrative part of Pennsylvania’s economy; while the state only uses about 1/4^th of the natural gas it produces, several pipeline projects have sprung up throughout the region to reach broader markets.  These projects can have disastrous impacts on the local ecosystems, destroying vegetation, increasing air and water pollution, and harming local wildlife. The substantial bituminous coal reserves in the state likewise contribute to pollution. Pennsylvania ranks as the third-largest coal-producing state, with about 80% of its domestically burned coal being used for electricity generation. The burning of bituminous coal releases pollutants that are dangerous for both public health in the state and local ecosystem such as arsenic and mercury. Finally, the petroleum produced in local refineries is utilized mostly by the transportation sector, accounting for 73% of petroleum consumption. The processes used by such refineries are a major source of hazardous air pollutants such as BTEX compounds and other cancer-causing chemicals. Ultimately, Pennsylvania’s fuel and energy habits are contributing to environmental problems in the state through domestic consumption, as well as throughout the country and the world at large by supplying large quantities of fossil fuels to other states.

In comparison, renewable energy sources generated a mere 4% of Pennsylvania’s in-state electricity in 2022, with about 18% of electricity sold to customers in the state being generated by alternative energy sources. Of this 4%, wind energy accounted for 2/5^th of the state’s renewable energy production, hydropower accounted for 3/10^th, biomass resources accounted for almost 1/5^th, and solar energy (both utility-scale and small-scale) accounted for 12^th percent. While these numbers are far from ideal and there is still much room for improvement, the slight shifts towards renewable energy are a hopeful sign that we can continue to implement the infrastructure needed to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels.