Standing in line at our local polling place on Tuesday, a usually tranquil elementary school around the corner, the nervous energy was palpable. Most everyone who played a role seemed to realize the high stakes, not only in suburban Philadelphia but statewide, of this election.
Me? I kept thinking about Keystone Edge’s 100th edition, part of which you’re reading right now. It’s not an incredibly earth-shattering milestone, encapsulating a little more than two years of publishing the only online magazine that tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. The timing, though, is what struck me as particularly interesting, and can’t be dismissed as mere coincidence.
When it comes to PA’s future, many are actors in an ensemble cast of educators, students, entrepreneurs, researchers and scientists, artists, and innovators in growing industries like entertainment technology, robotics, life sciences, and business services. Those are the people we try to follow every week, along with the companies, universities, non-profits and institutions that give them a stage on which to perform.
When it comes to the energy sector, there is much pride and promise, perhaps more so than in any other industry in PA. During Keystone Edge’s existence, Pennsylvania has become a clear leader in innovation, stretching from public utilities to higher education to commercial applications. PA is investing $650 million to expand the sector, with a focus on alternative energy sources, new technologies and energy efficiency. The Commonwealth ranks only behind California in solar energy job creation (282 companies, 6,700 jobs) and is among the leaders in capital investment produced by energy projects. There are 5,000 manufacturers statewide contributing to the sector, including a burgeoning class of biofuels companies. Pittsburgh is marketing itself as the Nation’s Energy Capital, while Philadelphia is fast becoming a model of urban sustainability and home to industry leading companies working in solar, wind, carbon credits and smart grid technology.
We’ve been writing about many of these innovations in our Faces of Energy series, which profiles young, diverse and interesting Pennsylvanians contributing to the sector’s success. We’ve also been profiling dozens of companies who are developing new technologies and processes to make energy more efficient, cleaner and more accessible. To be sure, PA still has a long way to go to reduce its carbon footprint and continue to erase the damaging remnants of the fossil fuel economy largely fostered here. We are, however, well-positioned, with so many natural assets like reserves of coal and natural gas and waterways and mountain ranges conducive to hydro and wind power, respectively.
But there has also been a lot of nervous energy, not unlike my polling place, centered around Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling and the thousands of jobs, billions of dollars, and environmental security that are at stake. With elections looming, this most important energy issue has become a primarily partisan issue, and like many things in an age of non-stop punditry, has become lost in a cacophony of back-and-forth shouting.
When I think of Pennsylvania’s economic health and status among the national leaders and models of success, Ben Franklin Technology Partners is the first thing that comes to mind. For more than 25 years, this innovative, award-winning and oft-replicated approach to economic development has received support from both Republican and Democratic administrations. The Ben Franklin network, incidentally, is responsible for many of PA’s energy victories, like the Virtual Energy Incubator, which provides the necessary resources, connections and support to develop strong energy companies, technologies and innovations in Central and Northern PA.
Then there’s the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, revived in 2004 and largely supported the last few years by bipartisan efforts. It has taken the lead in establishing our assets, priorities and investments, and there are many potential answers to the difficult questions it faces. PA has required that 18 percent of its retail electricity must be generated from alternative sources. The state has enough known coal reserves to supply its needs for 250 years. There is enough potential wind capacity to power 4 million PA homes. We have 5,000 megawatts of long-term biomass co-firing potential and significant opportunities to use landfill gas for electricity generation.
Some of these solutions come from unlikely places. I had a chance to attend this year’s Pennsylvania Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Festival in September after first writing about it in 2009. Held at the Kempton Community Center in Kempton, Berks County, a tiny village near Allentown that is as beautiful as it is out-of-the-way, the festival has grown tremendously in its six years. At its first festival, the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Association counted three solar photovoltaic installers as exhibitors. This year there were more than 30. Overall, there were nearly 200 exhibitors and vendors this year, including a world-class art exhibit, a solar-powered soundstage for musical performers, and a host of information, resources and technologies from the edge of Berks County. I was awestruck.
Ask any actor or athlete and they’ll tell you nervous energy can be a good thing. And obviously, this week’s elections will have many substantial impacts. But all the positives created by the energy sector in PA in the last decade cannot be undervalued. It’s my goal and hope that Keystone Edge continues to cover this transformation for another 100 issues and beyond. The stakes are as high as any mid-term election.
Joe Petrucci is managing editor of Keystone Edge. Send feedback here.
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