Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG) Education Fund is the policy research arm of the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG) left-of-center lobbying organization. It is the Pennsylvania state affiliate of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (US-PIRG). PennPIRG Education Fund is one of 23 state affiliates of the Colorado-based U.S. PIRG Education Fund.

Sister Organizations

PennPIRG is associated with Environment America. Both groups are part of the Public Interest Network, along with other state PIRGs and the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center. Environment America and PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center share a website, which states both that they are sister organizations ¹ and that PennEnvironment is a local chapter of Environment America. ²

Environment America and PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center focus on issues related to the environment, while PennPIRG focuses on issues such as consumer safety and health care, although the groups regularly work together and have considerable issue overlap. PennPIRG’s website states that the National Environmental Law Center serves as its in-house litigation arm. ³

Issues

Right to Repair

PennPIRG claims credit for persuading the Pennsylvania legislature to consider legislation that would “require manufacturers to provide access to parts, tools and information needed to fix electronics.” ⁴ PennPIRG and supporters of the law argue this would make fixing electronics instead of replacing them easier and cheaper, while manufacturers in opposition argue that the bill “could pose dangers to would-be repairers and the equipment as well as compromise the safety and security of devices.” ⁵

Litigation Against Companies

PennPIRG also seeks to bring “corporate polluters to justice” by working with the National Environmental Law Center (NELC) to file and and support lawsuits against companies like U.S. Steel. Other companies targeted by litigation include Campbell Soup and Styropek. Litigation efforts are conducted through PennPIRG’s in-house litigation arm, the National Environmental Law Center. ⁶

Opposition to Hydrocarbon Fuels

PennPIRG works with shareholder activist groups like Green Century Capital Management to pressure companies to adopt its environmental initiatives. PennPIRG uses proxy votes of shareholders to push for Green New Deal actions, such as punishing banks and insurance companies for their business relationships with the conventional fuel industry. ^{7 8 9} Working with Environment America and PennEnvironment, Penn PIRG also opposes “gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and string trimmers.” ²

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

PennPIRG advocates to expand solar energy with guides on how to “electrify your home” by taking advantage of tax credits and by encouraging the use of electric cars. ^{10 11} It also discourages the use of nuclear energy, arguing that “nuclear power threatens PA drinking water.” ¹²

Beth McConnell, former state director of PennPIRG, argued on behalf of the organization before the Consumer Affairs Committee of the Pennsylvania legislature against fossil fuels and nuclear power and in favor of weather-dependent solar and wind energy instead. ¹³

Beyond Plastics Campaign

PennEnvironment, PennPIRG, and other organizations conducted the Beyond Plastics campaign which received commitments from Costco and Amazon to reduce their plastics pollution. ¹⁴

People

All staff listed on the PennPIRG website appear to also work at the national U.S. PIRG or Public Interest Network level of the organization. None of the officers listed on the staff section of the PennPIRG website are referred to as state-specific officers. ¹⁵

AS of January 2024, Faye Park is president of the PIRG Education Fund and executive vice president of the PIRG Interest Network, or Public Interest Network. Park began working with the PIRG network as a student volunteer with MassPIRG, the Massachusetts affiliate of US-PIRG. She also worked with Student PIRGs as an organizer and lives in Colorado where the national PIRG Education Fund is located. ¹⁶

1. “About.” Environment America, October 12, 2023. https://environmentamerica.org/about/.
2. Kummer, Frank. “Calls to Ban Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Are Growing over Noise and Air Pollution.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 30, 2023. https://www.inquirer.com/science/climate/leaf-blowers-lawn-mowers-pollution-philadephia-noise-20231030.html.
3. “About Us.” National Environmental Law Center, May 26, 2022. https://publicinterestnetwork.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5f2b78e50247a1bba5360894c&id=48491405b9&e=6ad2531a66.
4. “Pennsylvania Becomes 30th State to Put Forward Right to Repair Legislation.” PIRG. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://pirg.org/updates/pennsylvania-becomes-30th-state-to-put-forward-right-to-repair-legislation/.
5. Povich, Elaine. “The Latest ‘right to Repair’ Law Is the Broadest One Yet.” Pennsylvania Capital Star, May 31, 2023. https://www.penncapital-star.com/government-politics/the-latest-right-to-repair-law-is-the-broadest-one-yet/.
6. “About Us.” National Environmental Law Center, May 26, 2022. https://www.nelc.org/about-us/.
7. Hallez, Emile. “Chubb Faces New Kind of Shareholder Vote over Fossil Fuels.” ESG Clarity, March 29, 2022. https://esgclarity.com/chubb-shareholder-resolution-green-century/.
8. Phelps, Douglas H. “A Look Back at What Our Unique Network Accomplished in 2023.” PennPIRG Education Fund, January 2, 2024. https://pirg.org/pennsylvania/edfund/articles/the-public-interest-network-a-unique-platform-for-people-who-want-to-protect-the-environment-and-advance-the-public-interest/.
9. “Green Century Funds President Named to Prestigious Barron’s List.” Green Century Funds, April 14, 2023. https://www.greencentury.com/green-century-funds-president-named-to-prestigious-barrons-list/.
10. “You Have the Power: How to Electrify Your Home with New Tax Credits.” PennPIRG Education Fund. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://pirg.org/pennsylvania/edfund/events/you-have-the-power-how-to-electrify-your-home-with-new-tax-credits/.
11. “Taking Charge: A Guide to Used Electric Vehicles.” PennPIRG Education Fund. Accessed January 22, 2024. https://pirg.org/pennsylvania/edfund/events/taking-charge-a-guide-to-used-electric-vehicles/.
12. “Nuclear Power Threatens Pa Drinking Water.” PennPIRG, August 6, 2022. https://pirg.org/pennsylvania/media-center/nuclear-power-threatens-pa-drinking-water/.
13.  Testimony of Beth A. McConnell. Accessed January 23, 2024. https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/TR/Transcripts/2021_0143_0021_TSTMNY.pdf
14. “Beyond Plastic.” PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, October 18, 2022. https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/center/topics/beyond-plastic/.
15. “Our Team.” PennPIRG Education Fund, September 1, 2023. https://pirg.org/pennsylvania/edfund/team/.
16. “Faye Park.” PennPIRG Education Fund, August 29, 2023. https://pirg.org/pennsylvania/edfund/people/faye-park/.