There is no doubt that renewable energy is the future of our civilization. Recognizing this, Pennsylvania is taking steps to emerge as a leader in clean energy.
PENNSYLVANIA STATE | The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary, Cindy Adams Dunn, has announced that the DCNR will use 100% renewable energy by 2030.
“DCNR’s commitment to sustainability is second to none and we are proud to announce this critical step to a more sustainable energy use across our department as good stewards of our natural resources,” Dunn said. “This agency is committing to a measured, strategic plan to address energy conservation, creation, and consumption for the facilities that are critical parts of operating public lands.”
The DCNR plans to use 28.7-gigawatt hours of electricity by 2030. This total is planned to be made of 15.5 gigawatt-hours produced by the DCNR itself and another 13.2-gigawatt hours purchased from other renewable energy sources.
Clean-energy leaders will be meeting in Pittsburgh this week to discuss solutions to the adoption of renewable energy. The DCNR will be present at this meeting and hopes to make its commitment to clean energy known.
“With 121 state parks and 2.2 million acres of forest land, and 42 million visitors a year, our department consumes a lot of energy for operations, visitor services, and to maintain infrastructure,” DCNR Deputy Secretary Mike Walsh said. “As a result, our public lands are a proving ground for innovative solutions to energy use and demonstrating the value of reducing our carbon footprint, investing in clean energy for long-term savings, and sharing our successes with the public to set an example for Pennsylvanians to consider sustainable alternatives.”
The DCNR has completed 23 solar installation projects with another 18 planned or underway to further drive upon their sustainable climate efforts.
According to the DCNR, the department also has 17 high-performance facilities under its supervision, has installed electric vehicle charging stations at more than 35 state parks and forests, is implementing battery-operated maintenance equipment, and continues investing in electric vehicles across the agency’s fleet of more than 1,600 vehicles.
Visit DCNR’s website for more information about its sustainability initiatives.
