The crisis of climate change is a serious threat and needs to be treated as such.

 

• Governor Tom Wolf recently brought Pennsylvania into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. This plan will require carbon-emitting energy plants to pay a fee for every ton of carbon they release. Governor Wolf has my full support on this issue. It is about time that we join 11 of our neighboring states in this effort. The initiative will not only deter big corporations from polluting our environment, it is estimated to bring in over $100 million of revenue to the state in its first year. 

• Since 2004, the long-standing Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act has required energy companies to offer sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. I support the continuation and bolstering of this act. 

 

 We must also vow to protect Pennsylvania's natural resources and we can do so by investing in clean energy technologies that will not only protect our ecosystems but also drive our economy forward into the future.