Lehigh Valley Planning Commission taking action on regional climate

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As part of its annual report, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission has published a Lehigh Valley Priority Climate Action Plan to show how local businesses and residents can act locally to impact the climate globally.

The good news, according to LVPC Executive Director Becky Bradley, is that there is already strong corporate buy-in throughout the Lehigh Valley and there are companies headquartered here that are leading the charge in creating a more sustainable future for the world.

She said the Lehigh Valley is fortunate to have major companies as Air Products and Mack Trucks that are taking the lead in their industries in supporting such things as greener fuels and electrification of vehicles.

While there are several components to the plan, addressing transportation is one of the most important topics it addresses, Bradley said.

According to the LVPC’s 2022 Comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Assessment, transportation is the second highest generator of greenhouse gas emissions in the Lehigh Valley, contributing 26% of the region’s greenhouse gas since 2019.

She said that with the reduction of greenhouse gases as the primary goal of the plan, transportation decarbonization needs to be a large part of the solution.

The plan looks at issues ranging from automobile transportation to public transit and freight and the role each plays in contributing to or reducing greenhouse gases.

The planning commission does have some help from the federal government in achieving its goals.

The Lehigh Valley was the recipient of $1 million from the federal Inflation Reduction Act to work on carbon pollution reduction and the LVPC plans to partner with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to apply for between $100 million and $120 million in grants to “green up” areas along the region’s major transportation corridors such as the Route 22 and 33 Interchange and along 378 and Route 309.

“We also want to develop plans with LANTA connecting transit to industries, making it greener to get people between their home and jobs,” Bradley said.

But it’s not just about transporation, said Susan Myerov, director of environmental planning for LVPC.

“We’re going to look at goals for reducing greenhouse gases in other sectors and try to understand the relationship between the different sectors,” Myerov said.

Bradley said part of that effort will be getting the energy and transportation industries working together.

“What prevents people from converting to electric vehicles?” Bradley asked. “My feeling is that they feel like they won’t have a place to charge their car.”

That means getting those companies that are providing electricity – like PPL Corp. in Allentown – to work with auto makers and fuel providers to make sure there is easy access to electrical vehicle charging stations.

Bradley noted that private companies, like Sheetz, have already begun adding electric vehicle charging stations to their existing fuel stations.

“They’re preparing for the electrical vehicle future,” Bradley said. But she also urged more action saying that the goal would be to have electric vehicle charging stations at all gas stations, so motorists don’t need to worry about finding a place to charge.