Pennsylvania’s labor and industry leaders continue to address Gov. Josh Shapiro’s energy plan that the governor believes will create thousands of jobs, lower costs, and make the state a leader in energy.
Rob Bair, president of the Pennsylvania State Building and Construction Trades, said the state cannot afford to continue “to do nothing.” He said Pennsylvania has had five years of stagnation in which the needle hasn’t moved on jobs or on climate.
Bair remarked that “not all agree right now on how to get there, but we all agree we have to get there. It’s really easy to be part of a problem. It’s really hard to be part of the solution.”
Philip Ameris, president Laborers District Council of Western Pennsylvania, said the laborers are optimistic that Shapiro’s energy plan “will create more opportunity.”
Ryan Boyer, business manager of the Laborers District Council of Philadelphia, agreed. The governor’s proposed energy plan, Boyer stated, “will put our members to work building the energy projects of the future, like hydrogen, nuclear, and other clean energy sources.”
Noting that the governor’s energy proposal “is centered around protecting and creating good, family sustaining jobs,” Jim Snell, Manager of Steamfitters Local 420, said the plan lays out a path to create close to 15,000 energy jobs and solidify Pennsylvania’s role as an energy leader.
“We are optimistic and excited about what this commonsense plan means workers, and we’re committed to being a partner in getting it done,” said Snell.
Pat Dolan, business manager for United Association Local Union 524, said energy “is something that’s so important to the building trades because not only do we build and maintain our plants – such as the Susquehanna generating plant – but we do upgrades in these places to keep peak efficiency. Another thing that we do is energy upgrades throughout our buildings, our schools in the area. That’s job creation that is so key to everything that we do.”
Several industry leaders likewise expressed their approval of the energy plan. Mark Schneider, East Region president at Cordia, noted Shapiro’s visit in March to Energy Center Harrisburg.
“Our energy center has evolved over time and still provides consistent energy to the capitol complex and Harrisburg’s downtown corridor,” Schneider said. “We join the governor in his efforts to evolve Pennsylvania’s energy future.”
Nick Deiuliis, president and CEO, CNX Resources Corporation, said there is broad recognition that Pennsylvania’s “abundant, homegrown energy resources, like natural gas, can play a foundational role in a comprehensive solution that reduces emissions while continuing to drive economic growth. Through these efforts, Pennsylvania is positioned to lead a new era of responsible energy development.”
Pennsylvania is sending an economic message to companies to locate and expand businesses in the commonwealth instead of in competing states, said Nick Cohen, president, and CEO of Doral Renewables.
“A modernized cleaner energy mix is now a major competitive advantage that Pennsylvania is fortifying through the new policies,” said Cohen.
Not all labor leaders agreed with the governor’s energy proposal. David N. Taylor, president and CEO, Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association, said the energy tax “will cause widespread destruction in every industry in Pennsylvania. A new, additional tax on energy will jeopardize our vital industries and undermine the hardworking women and men on our shop floors while massively subsidizing boutique ‘green’ energy monopolized by China.”
Taylor noted that Pennsylvania is the largest exporter of electricity, the second largest producer of natural gas, and third largest producer of coal in America. Pennsylvania, he added, powers the grid, and the state’s production is crucial to American energy leadership and national security.
“Governor Shapiro’s energy tax will stifle Pennsylvania’s energy production, which will weaken America,” Taylor said, adding that the energy tax will add costs on every utility bill, product, and service in the state.
Taylor called the energy tax “a solution in search of a problem” since Pennsylvania has reduced CO2 emissions over the past 20 years. He said reduction “has been driven by efficiency, innovation, and the deployment of best-in-practice technology across all industrial sectors – and these successes can continue without destroying Pennsylvania’s economy.”
Author: Ed GruverPublication: Central Penn Business Journal
https://www.cpbj.com/shapiros-energy-plan-draws-reactions-from-pa-labor-industry-leaders/