Governor Shapiro Gets Stuff Done: Securing Two Hydrogen Hub Projects, Plugging Abandoned Wells, Creating Jobs, & Protecting Public Health and the Environment

In his first year in office, Governor Shapiro and his Administration plugged more abandoned wells than in the last eight years combined, helped Pennsylvania secure two regional hydrogen hubs, announced a historic collaboration with CNX Resources, and cemented PA’s place as an energy leader while protecting public health.

Harrisburg, PA – During his first year in office, Governor Shapiro and his Administration got stuff done by furthering Pennsylvania’s role as a national energy leader and advancing commonsense measures to defend public health and safety while protecting and creating good-paying energy jobs.

By leveraging millions in historic federal funding, the Shapiro Administration plugged 135 wells – more orphaned and abandoned wells in just 11 months than in the previous eight years combined. After working with the Biden Administration, the Shapiro Administration also announced that Pennsylvania is the only state in the country to secure two regional clean hydrogen hub projects – the MACH2 Hub in Philadelphia and the ARCH2 Hydrogen Hub.

Thanks to Governor Shapiro’s leadership and commitment to bringing people together, Pennsylvania announced a first-of-its-kind environmental monitoring collaboration with CNX Resources Corporation to protect public health and convened a Working Group on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) that identified a path for protecting and creating energy jobs, addressing climate change, and ensuring consumers have reliable, affordable power in the long term.

Read more about the Shapiro Administration’s work to make Pennsylvania a leader in energy while protecting jobs and public health below. 

Shapiro Administration Plugs More Than 130 Orphaned & Abandoned Wells in Just 11 Months, Surpassing the Total Over the Previous Eight Years Combined

• Bringing an unprecedented focus to well-capping efforts and leveraging millions in historic federal funding, the Shapiro Administration has capped and plugged 135 wells under Governor Shapiro’s leadership – plugging more wells in the Governor’s first 11 months than in the previous eight years combined.

• Capping and plugging orphaned and abandoned wells improves public health, reduces planet-warming methane emissions, and creates good-paying jobs. That’s why, from Day One of his Administration, Governor Shapiro directed the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to draw down as much federal funding as possible to cap and plug the orphaned and abandoned wells in Pennsylvania.

• Thanks to the IIJA and the Wolf Administration’s efforts, Pennsylvania is poised to receive more than $400 million in the coming years to cap and plug wells across the Commonwealth. This has already led to a dozen additional DEP staff specifically working on wells in Western Pennsylvania alone.

Pennsylvania Becomes the Only State in the Nation to Secure Two Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub Projects

• In October, Governor Shapiro joined President Biden and DOE Secretary Granholm in Philadelphia to announce that Pennsylvania is the only state in the country to secure two regional clean hydrogen hub projects, funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program.

• The federal government will invest $750 million to build the renewable Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) in Philadelphia and the surrounding region, which will create over 20,000 jobs – with a particular focus on union jobs. The Biden Administration also selected the ARCH2 Hydrogen Hub, which will create 21,000 jobs for the Appalachian region, including in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

• The Shapiro Administration provided significant financial support to enable the preparation of the successful application of the MACH2 hub, coordinated the regional congressional delegation in support of the proposal, and engaged with the Department of Energy throughout the application process to voice support and help secure these hubs. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was part of the team that presented the proposal to the Department of Energy in July, with a particular focus on the environmental justice emphasis of the MACH2 application’s community benefit plan.

• The two hydrogen hubs will create more than 41,000 total good-paying jobs between them and ensure Pennsylvania continues to be an energy leader for decades to come.

Establishing First-of-its-Kind Collaboration on Environmental Monitoring and Chemical Disclosures with CNX Resources

• Fulfilling a promise made as Attorney General to advance commonsense measures to defend public health and safety while protecting jobs in the natural gas industry in Pennsylvania, Governor Shapiro and CNX Resources announced in November a historic commitment that will further heighten the company’s operational disclosures in collaboration with state environmental regulators and the public.

• CNX is implementing a program to definitively measure emissions and heighten chemical disclosure, while voluntarily enhancing setbacks for new wells near sensitive sites during the data collection phase.

• Pennsylvania business, union, and environmental leaders applauded the historical collaboration to defend public health and protect jobs, saying that the announcement is a demonstration that “collaboration, continuous improvement, greater public transparency, and strong regulatory standards are not just aspirational – they are attainable and essential” and calling the step “a package of much-needed regulatory protections and safeguards against fracking in Pennsylvania.”

Bringing Organized Labor, Energy Industry Representatives, and Environmental Protection Stakeholders Together for the First Time to Discuss Pennsylvania’s Energy Future

• Following through on a campaign promise, Governor Shapiro brought organized labor, energy industry representatives, environmental protection stakeholders, and consumer advocates together for the first time to discuss Pennsylvania’s energy future by creating the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Working Group.

• Chaired by Jackson Morris of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Mike Dunleavy of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 5 in Pittsburgh, the group reflected the diversity of opinion across the Commonwealth, with members drawn from organized labor, the energy industry, environmental groups, and consumer advocates.

• The Governor made clear any energy policy supported by his Administration must meet his three-part test of protecting and creating energy jobs; taking real action to address climate change; and ensuring reliable, affordable power for consumers in the long term.

• After meeting nine times throughout the spring and summer, with additional subgroups meeting informally to discuss particular topics, the Working Group evaluated potential energy policy using that test and reached consensus that a form of cap-and-invest carbon regulation for the power sector that generates revenue to support the Commonwealth’s energy transition is the optimal approach moving forward.

The Governor will continue to bring people together to ensure that Pennsylvania maintains its reputation as an energy leader while protecting public health and jobs.  

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