This story is the third in a four part series.
The most ambitious climate bill in history has the potential to accelerate Pennsylvania’s transition to a green economy or keep it tied to fossil fuel production, depending on shifting political dynamics and the influence of long-entrenched oil and gas companies.
For Gov. Tom Wolf, whose environmental legacy consists of playing defense against a Republican-dominated Legislature and a powerful fossil fuel lobby, the passage of the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is welcome news. “These are necessary investments,” Wolf said during a talk at the Global Clean Energy Action Forum in Pittsburgh on Sept. 22, just weeks after the IRA was signed into law on Aug. 16. “That will pave the way for a faster and smoother transition to a clean energy future. And they’re going to provide states and local…