PennEnvironment is a left-of-center environmentalist organization that advocates for the use of environmentalist energy sources, conservationist policy, and government regulation to combat climate change. The organization has also advocated against natural gas exploration using hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania.

PennEnvironment is the Pennsylvania state affiliate of Environment America, a network of organizations that is also part of the left-of-center Public Interest Network. ¹

History

PennEnvironment was created in 2002 as a state affiliate of Environment America, a left-of-center environmentalist organization that has since started state-based environmentalist advocacy organizations in 29 states. ² It is part of the controversial Public Interest Network of left-of-center advocacy organizations. ³

Funding

In 2019, PennEnvironment reported $1,528,439 in grants and contributions and $110,925 in program service revenue. ⁴  The organization reported $1,690,977 in total revenue,⁵ $1,611,782 in expenses,⁶ and $3,498,788 in net assets. ⁷

Lobbying

PennEnvironment lobbies both the Pennsylvania state government and the federal government to eliminate all natural gas exploration using hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania. ⁸ The organization’s top federal legislative priorities include placing limitations on development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, implementing tax deductions for the use of environmentalist energy sources, regulating waterways to prevent pollution, and creating a national network of electric vehicle charging stations. ⁹ PennEnvironment also praised President Joe Biden for hosting a global climate summit and advocated for a federal carbon pricing strategy, including a $50 per-ton tax on carbon emissions. ^{10 11}

In 2021, PennEnvironment encouraged and praised Pennsylvania state senators who supported and intervened in litigation seeking to eliminate all natural gas exploration using hydraulic fracturing in the Delaware River Basin. ¹² In the letter, PennEnvironment stated that “fracking should not be allowed anywhere”¹³

PennEnvironment supported the largest state government commitment to subsidize solar panel investments in the country. On March 22, 2021, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (D) announced that the government would produce 50% of the state’s required electricity through seven solar panel arrays to be created in Pennsylvania. ¹⁴ PennEnvironment praised the decision to subsidize solar panels and implement government control of electricity, claiming that Gov. Wolf “is showing us the path forward for a clean energy future.” ¹⁵

In 2020, PennEnvironment condemned Gov. Wolf, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D), and Delaware Governor John Carney (D) for approving a liquified natural gas export terminal to service the three states. ¹⁶

PennEnvironment has supported legislation written by Pennsylvania State Representative Christopher Rabb (D—Philadelphia), and Pennsylvania State Senators Amanda M. Cappelletti (D—Montgomery and Delaware) and Katie Muth (D—Chester and Montgomery) that would require the state to receive 100% of its energy from environmentalist sources by 2050. ¹⁷

Litigation

On April 13, 2021, PennEnvironment and the Clean Air Council sued Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania General Assembly for passing a law that sought to create uniformity across the state regarding the regulation of single-use plastics. PennEnvironment sought to overturn the enacted law to support counties that would otherwise enact municipal laws to heavily regulate single use plastics, including banning their use entirely. ¹⁸

In 2020, PennEnvironment, in concert with Environment Texas, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), the Hoosier Environmental Council, Texas Campaign for the Environment, and Earthworks, sued the Trump administration over the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) industrial flaring standards. ¹⁹

Mon Valley Works Cogeneration Plant

In 2021, U.S. Steel announced that it would not move forward with a scheduled $1.5 billion investment at its Mon Valley Works steel processing plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. The cancellation is estimated to have cost Pennsylvania 1,000 construction jobs to expand the plant, in addition to the loss of permanent jobs at the plant. ²⁰

Pittsburgh Works, a left-of-center alliance between local businesses in Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh trade unions, argued that U.S. Steel did not expand the plant due to a lack of support from elected officials and “a constant drumbeat of opposition from so-called environmental groups” that Pittsburgh Works claims “reinforces the perception that the region and Pennsylvania are openly hostile to job-creators.” ²¹

PennEnvironment’s Zachary Barber came out in support of the plant cancellation, stating that the decision to not expand the plant and the decision to close three of the company’s oldest steel plants “will come as a huge breath of fresh air to residents in the Mon Valley and across the region.” ²²

Politics

PennEnvironment has taken political stances in support of left-of-center candidates for elected office. In 2012, PennEnvironment endorsed then-President Barack Obama, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), former U.S. Representative Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), and other Democratic Party candidates for various state and federal elected offices. ²³

Leadership

David Masur is the executive director of PennEnvironment. Masur also oversees the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG) and other organizations within the Public Interest Network that are active in Pennsylvania. Masur worked as an environmental advisor on Gov. Wolf and Philadelphia Mayor James Kenney (D)’s transition teams. ²⁴

1. “About us” Environment America. https://environmentamerica.org/feature/ame/about-us
2. “About us” Environment America. https://environmentamerica.org/feature/ame/about-us
3. “About us” Environment America. https://environmentamerica.org/feature/ame/about-us
4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). PennEnvironment. Part I, lines 8-9. 2019.
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). PennEnvironment. Part I, line 12. 2019.
6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). PennEnvironment. Part I, line 18. 2019.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). PennEnvironment. Part I, line 22. 2019.
8. “Don’t frack Pennsylvania!” PennEnvironment. https://pennenvironment.org/programs/pae/dont-frack-pennsylvania
9. “More action for our environment in Washington, D.C.” PennEnvironment. https://pennenvironment.org/blogs/environment-america-blog/ame/more-action-our-environment-washington-dc
10. “Report: Pricing carbon key to taking on climate change” PennEnvironment. https://pennenvironment.org/news/ame/report-pricing-carbon-key-taking-climate-change
11. “Report: Pricing carbon key to taking on climate change” PennEnvironment. https://pennenvironment.org/news/ame/report-pricing-carbon-key-taking-climate-change
12. “Statement: PennEnvironment applauds Senators’ intervening in fracking lawsuit to protect Delaware River” PennEnvironment. https://pennenvironment.org/news/pae/statement-pennenvironment-applauds-senators%E2%80%99-intervening-fracking-lawsuit-protect-delaware
13. “Statement: PennEnvironment applauds Senators’ intervening in fracking lawsuit to protect Delaware River” PennEnvironment. https://pennenvironment.org/news/pae/statement-pennenvironment-applauds-senators%E2%80%99-intervening-fracking-lawsuit-protect-delaware
14. “Pennsylvania announces nation’s largest government solar commitment” PennEnvironment. https://pennenvironment.org/blogs/blog/pae/pennsylvania-announces-nations-largest-government-solar-commitment
15. “Statement: PennEnvironment applauds Gov. Wolf for largest government solar commitment in the U.S.” PennEnvironment. https://pennenvironment.org/news/pae/statement-pennenvironment-applauds-gov-wolf-largest-government-solar-commitment-us
16. “PennEnvironment Response to DRBC approval of new LNG plant” PennEnvironment. https://pennenvironment.org/news/pae/pennenvironment-response-drbc-approval-new-lng-plant-0
17. “State legislators announce legislation to transition Pennsylvania to 100 percent renewable energy” PennEnvironment. https://pennenvironment.org/news/pae/state-legislators-announce-legislation-transition-pennsylvania-100-percent-renewable-energy
18. “Clean Air Council and PennEnvironment file motion to join lawsuit to overturn PA plastics preemption law” PennEnvironment. https://pennenvironment.org/news/pae/clean-air-council-and-pennenvironment-file-motion-join-lawsuit-overturn-pa-plastics
19. “Environmental Groups File Federal Lawsuit Over Air Pollution from Industrial Flares” PennEnvironment. https://pennenvironment.org/news/pae/environmental-groups-file-federal-lawsuit-over-air-pollution-industrial-flares
20. Oravitz, Jeff. “U.S. Steel cancels $1.5 billion project for Mon Valley Works” MSN News. April 30, 2021. Accessed May 1, 2021. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-steel-cancels-dollar15-billion-project-for-mon-valley-works/ar-BB1ge98M?ocid=BingNewsSearch
21. Oravitz, Jeff. “U.S. Steel cancels $1.5 billion project for Mon Valley Works” MSN News. April 30, 2021. Accessed May 1, 2021. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-steel-cancels-dollar15-billion-project-for-mon-valley-works/ar-BB1ge98M?ocid=BingNewsSearch
22. Oravitz, Jeff. “U.S. Steel cancels $1.5 billion project for Mon Valley Works” MSN News. April 30, 2021. Accessed May 1, 2021. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-steel-cancels-dollar15-billion-project-for-mon-valley-works/ar-BB1ge98M?ocid=BingNewsSearch
23. “PennEnvironment Announces Pro-Environment Endorsements for 2012 Federal Elections” PennEnvironment. https://pennenvironment.org/news/pae/pennenvironment-announces-pro-environment-endorsements-2012-federal-elections
24. “David Masur” PennEnvironment Research Center. https://pennenvironmentcenter.org/staff/pae/david-masur