PennFuture Statement on 2024-2025 State Budget

PennFuture applauds Governor Shapiro and the Pennsylvania General Assembly on their forward-looking environmental initiatives in a $47.6 billion 2024-2025 budget deal that includes important investments to maintain and protect Pennsylvania’s natural resources and promote renewable energy throughout the Commonwealth.

The budget allocates crucial ongoing support to the Clean Streams Fund, which aims to safeguard our waterways from pollution. Established in 2022 with federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Clean Streams Fund became a popular program for Pennsylvania farmers looking to invest in conservation practices. We are thrilled to witness the ongoing success of this program with the state creating a recurring  $50 million in annual funding.

Another popular program, Abandoned Wells Plugging, will receive $11 million to cap abandoned oil and gas wells to prevent methane leaks and pollution into our waterways that harm our homes, farms, schools, and businesses. 

After overwhelming support from labor and environmental groups, the newly-created Solar for PA Schools grants program passed with bipartisan support. This legislation allocates $25 million annually to assist schools, community colleges, and technical schools fund solar energy installation.  This program is an important step for Pennsylvania to increase renewable energy and create good paying, sustainable jobs, while helping our schools reduce their energy costs.
The state also protected itself from a growing climate emissions threat. A new provision in the state tax code blocks  crypto-mining companies from receiving  state tax credits, discouraging energy-intensive data centers from expanding in Pennsylvania.

PennFuture supported the implementation of a new flat fee on electric vehicles to help fund repairs to Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges. Our support came after working with lawmakers to create a more equitable fee and securing bipartisan support for the Solar for PA Schools program. Though there is much more to be done to adequately fund our transportation needs in the face of the transition towards electric vehicles, the legislation ultimately passed by the General Assembly is the product of intense negotiations over the course of the past year and balances the dual priorities of investing in our infrastructure while building a more robust market for electric vehicles in Pennsylvania.
Our fight for increasing renewable energy sources and ending Pennsylvania’s dependence on fossil fuels continues. We were unsuccessful in this budget to end an expansion of an existing tax credit for companies that burn waste coal. The impact on community health and the surrounding environment of these dirty dust piles cannot be ignored.

Although there is much more work to be done to address environmental priorities in Pennsylvania, the budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year takes several important steps to protect our air, water, and natural lands. We are committed to continuing our efforts to advance conservation and promote growth industries in clean energy to bring 21st-century jobs to Pennsylvania.