Pa. lawmakers tout increased state, federal funding to fight climate change

State and federal efforts to fight climate change could also create tens of thousands of jobs and lower energy bills in Western Pennsylvania, two Democratic lawmakers said Tuesday.

The federal Inflation Reduction Act, which President Biden was expected to sign into law on Tuesday, will allocate $370 billion to fight climate change and invest in clean energy.

It comes as Pennsylvania’s state budget includes $800 million for conservation efforts that aim to improve air quality and parks and address flooding.

The Inflation Reduction Act is the largest investment the country has made to address climate change, said Katie Blume, political director of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania. The investment hopes to bring the country 80% of the way to its climate goals, she said.

The measure includes $60 billion in federal funding for clean technology.

“In a place like Pittsburgh, that means jobs in manufacturing,” Blume said.

The legislation will invest $60 billion to underserved communities to tackle environmental issues.

“What it has the potential to do in terms of investment in the climate is really unfathomable,” said state Rep. Emily Kinkead, D-Brighton Heights.

She cited a study suggesting that the investment in clean energy could create 28,000 new jobs a year in Pennsylvania for the next five years.

It also aims to reduce pollution and help families save on their energy bills, state Rep. Austin Davis, D-McKeesport, said, citing statistics estimating that the measure could save an average household up to $1,800 a year on energy bills.

Meanwhile, Davis said, the state budget makes “an historic investment in our environment and waterways” and provides $300 million for upgrades to water and sewer systems. Locally, that investment will help ALCOSAN pay for major upgrades without overburdening ratepayers, he said.

“This is a critical step toward environmental justice and reinvigorating communities that have been left behind for far too long,” Davis said.

Kinkead said the investments come at a time when many are feeling the impacts of climate change on their pocketbooks and in their daily lives.

Pennsylvania has been hit with “deadly extreme heat waves” this summer, she said, and severe weather events like landslides have been plaguing Allegheny County. The extreme droughts seen in Europe could happen here next, she said.

Kinkead said Pennsylvanians are seeing increased costs associated with climate change. She said this summer’s high heat has caused a spike in many people’s electric bills as they try to keep their homes cool — an expense many can’t afford as inflation skyrockets.

“More than 310,000 Pennsylvanians are especially vulnerable to extreme heat,” Kinkead said, adding that census data indicates more Pennsylvania homes — including her own — don’t even have air conditioning.

“The Inflation Reduction Act makes a massive investment to reduce both of those issues,” she said.