DCNR on track to get 100 percent of energy from renewable sources by 2030

By Cassie Miller – Capital-Star

HARRISBURG, PA – Earlier this week, the state agency tasked with overseeing the commonwealth’s state parks and forests said that it is on track to produce or purchase all of its electricity from renewable resources by 2030.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said on Wednesday that it expects to “use 28.7-gigawatt hours of electricity by 2030 with a plan to have the department produce 15.5-gigawatt hours and purchase 13.2-gigawatt hours — all from renewable energy sources.”

“DCNR’s commitment to sustainability is second to none and we are proud to announce this critical step to a more sustainable energy use across our department as good stewards of our natural resources,” Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “This agency is committing to a measured, strategic plan to address energy conservation, creation, and consumption for the facilities that are critical parts of operating public lands.”

The agency currently has 23 solar installation projects completed on its lands, with another 18 in design or under construction.

“With 121 state parks and 2.2 million acres of forest land, and 42 million visitors a year, our department consumes a lot of energy for operations, visitor services, and to maintain infrastructure,” Deputy Secretary Mike Walsh said. “As a result, our public lands are a proving ground for innovative solutions to energy use and demonstrating the value of reducing our carbon footprint, investing in clean energy for long-term savings, and sharing our successes with the public to set an example for Pennsylvanians to consider sustainable alternatives.”

DCNR said that it reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 194 metric tons in 2021.