Op-Ed | Pennsylvania residents need to pay attention to energy discussions, even outside of presidential election years

If you live in the United States as either a permanent or temporary resident, you know that eyes have been on the seven key swing states, especially the crown jewel for the next president-elect — Pennsylvania. 

As a fossil fuel hub, uproar could be heard from all corners of the state when Vice President Kamala Harris flipped her position on fracking, now clinging to a “pro-fracking” stance. Commotion ensued because Appalachian communities, primarily concentrated in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Northeastern Ohio and Northeastern West Virginia, have been inundated with fracking for decades since the inception of unconventional fracking in the early 2000s. 

It adds insult to injury when yet another politician feeds into the divisive pro-versus-anti-fracking debate because, as the oil and gas states know, industry isn’t leaving anytime soon. So the question then becomes, how can we do this without poisoning our fellow Americans? Because cancer rates, respiratory issues and reproductive impacts are not something that the country can continually ignore, as hard as some may try to.  

But now that we’re here in 2024 with another contentious election, it begs the question — does fracking only matter in a presidential election? 

While it would be wonderful if we had presidential candidates that support a more aggressive transition to renewables and advocate for protective measures, only an act of Congress could nationally ban fracking. The president doesn’t have that kind of authority, and most protective action that’s come down the pipeline has been at a municipal, county and state level. 

Look at Maryland, which banned fracking in 2017 through the Maryland General Assembly. In a perfect world, it would be great if our state’s General Assembly could make the same move to protect its constituents. But there are smaller actions that have productive results, as is the case for local government.  

While municipalities can enact setbacks through a clause in the local ordinance, they can’t fully ban oil and gas activity — that has to occur at the county level, although all counties in Pennsylvania currently allow fracking. But look at Cecil Township, which may beckon a proactive-steps ordinance to keep gas well pads out of the community. It would be a historic feat, given Cecil is situated in prime fracking lands. 

On the flipside, municipal officials can be the ones to place fracking in their communities. Take Murrysville, where local officials ignored their constituents’ concerns earlier this month when council struck down a resident petition to stop drilling under public parks. 

Why do decision-makers keep us in the revolving door of fossil fuel dependence, even when it goes against our most direct wishes and public health interests? Although it’s not an executive function, local governance is essential to if and how this activity proceeds.

For one, the United States is the largest gas producer in the world, and Pennsylvania produces the second-largest amount. The oil and gas industry is undoubtedly interwoven in our local, state and national economy. But proponents of fossil fuel development will go even further to say it’s a national security issue, like state senators Camera Bartolotta and Gene Yaw, who proposed the bill that would take away impact fees for communities who pass protective setbacks against fracking, like Cecil Township.   

While I agree energy is a national security concern, these politicians don’t really know what they’re talking about when they say fossil fuels, a notoriously limited energy source, are what’s securing us. Instead, those people are regurgitating the same “Drill! Drill! Drill!” rhetoric as many others who receive big payouts from the industry. 

Remember the infamous power grid failure that paralyzed 4.5 million homes and businesses in Texas after an unprecedented winter storm? People were left without heat in freezing temperatures for days. And remember last summer when we heard report after report from across the country of city blocks going black? That’s because 2023 was the hottest year on record and subsequently led to the deaths of more than 2,300 people. 

This is a reality powered by fossil fuels, so what would reinforce our antiquated and fragile electrical grid, especially as winters get colder and summers get hotter, thus protecting Americans? 

For one thing, it will not be hydrogen. I am in a coalition with other folks from Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia who are also concerned about the trajectory of the $7 billion hydrogen projects that have been proposed across the country. Legislators at the state level are embracing this as though they’re under a spell.

Why? 

It all comes back to our shale gas production. It all comes back to industry. 

Hydrogen is one of the earliest fuels humans have relied on. But we don’t rely on hydrogen today because we’ve found other, more efficient forms of energy. The only way we as a nation will achieve our climate goals is to do the most logical thing — dwindle our enormous greenhouse gas emissions by restricting business and make meaningful strides across the country to produce a substantial chunk of our energy needs from wind, solar and geothermal power. 

The hydrogen hub being proposed will be fed by methane gas, the same stuff fracked under Appalachians’ feet, all at our expense. 

We cannot make the “quantum leap” the United Nations says is necessary to mitigate the worst of climate change. What’s done is done, and for those driving the climate crisis — polluting industries, greenwashing campaigns, misinformation — you have put humanity and the Earth’s health at stake. That much isn’t up for debate. But it’s astounding how, as we sit on a planet that’s aflame, we still think rebranding and repackaging fossil fuels will save us. 

All of this to say, whether or not a president is pro or anti-fracking does matter, but only in the very small scheme of things. What truly matters is looking at who’s on your municipality’s board of commissioners, who’s on your city council, who your representatives are, who your senators are. These people are the ones deciding whether you live 500 feet from shale gas infrastructure or in a fracking-free state. They’re the ones who drive clean energy initiatives and champion for the public and environmental health of the Commonwealth. 

What Pennsylvania does matters. How you vote, in all elections, matters. 

We may not live to see a fossil fuel-free future, but I hope to see a day where the renewable energy transition has welcomed every single person in America to a brighter, greener future, with access to cheaper, more reliable electricity. That is the reality renewables bring, and no energy form, not even the mystical hydrogen, can replace that. And don’t let anyone tell you differently.