Oct 15th 2024 | Posted in Infrastructure, Opportunities by Government Contracting Pipeline

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The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) will receive $396 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deploy an industrial decarbonization incentive program across the state.

The funds will empower the agency to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the industrial sector. The DEP will distribute grants up to $300 million to advance small-, medium- and large-scale decarbonization projects. The department estimates that the Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) program will remove 9.2 metric tons of GHG emissions from the atmosphere by 2050.

The project will allow hundreds of facilities to greenlight shovel-ready decarbonization projects, resulting in the state reducing approximately 20% of GHG emissions. Plans call for additional private capital investment ranging between $283 and $973 million to support these projects.

The results of the decarbonization projects will mitigate hazardous air pollutants, toxins and other harmful substances, drastically raising the state’s overall air quality. These benefits will particularly affect nearby low-income and disadvantaged communities disproportionately affected by industrial pollution.

The DEP will use the funds to support and create high-quality jobs, prioritizing fair wage and apprenticeship requirements. In addition, the department will support equitable workforce development and create replicable and scalable GHG reduction strategies for impacted sectors.

The EPA allocated the funds from the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program. The CPRG program provides financial support to eligible recipients to develop and deploy plans to reduce harmful air pollutants. Awarded projects will address climate change, reduce air pollution, support environmental justice and transition the nation to clean energy.

Pennsylvania is one of 25 applicants chosen to receive a portion of the recently announced $4.3 billion in CPRG funding. The most recent round of funding prioritizes reducing GHG emissions in the agriculture and working lands, transportation, commercial and residential buildings, industry, waste and materials management and electric power sectors.