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Gathering in Lehigh Valley focuses on how to be prepared for increased use of renewable energy in Pa. Justin Backover Apr 28, 2023 The use of renewable energy and electric vehicles is growing in the state, and leaders are focused on managing that increased demand. It was the topic of discussion at the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce's 2023 Sustainability Summit. Currently, only around 7% of Pennsylvania's energy is renewable, and that's actually up considerably from just a decade ago, says Skyler Marzewski, market design specialist at PJM, a wholesale energy provider in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and 11 other states and D.C. Marzewski says it's expecting much more growth in the years to come: "The renewable growth is really driven by state and federal policies." PJM is anticipating 4.5 million electric vehicles in the network by 2037. Marzewski says the grid can keep up, with proper planning. "So right now, there's not enough EV penetration to be worried too much about when you're charging, but in California, there's a lot more EV penetration in which they prefer you not to charge during peak hours," Marzewski said. "We absolutely have enough power. If it was a flip the switch, and every vehicle was electric immediately, there be some bumps in the road. Right now, we see a clear growth." Gov. Josh Shapiro has vowed to get to 30% renewables by 2030. According to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, the region currently accounts for just under 4% of the state's greenhouse gas emissions. "More than 60% of the emissions come from industrial electricity and natural gas or transportation, and the next largest emitter is residential energy at 20%," LVPC Executive Director Becky Bradley said. Just last week, the Planning Commission was awarded $1 million from the EPA to draft a climate action plan. "We have to have that done by March 2024, and that's going to focus specifically on industrial decarbonization," Bradley said. "When we have planning in place, we're able to make sure the grid will be reliable short term as well as long term," Marzewski said. The Planning Commission says it expects to see a 1.5% annual increase in the Lehigh Valley's carbon emissions over the next few years, but decreases in the industrial transportation sector are expected. ? The chamber also presented awards to Parkland Community Library, Seven Generations Charter School and Air Products for their sustainability work.