Pennsylvania’s Senate delegation is unlikely to get involved in the project. Bob Casey generally supports renewable energy and Senator Toomey is a lame-duck. The Cranberry Hollow Project in unlikely to get on the radar of either Senator. Congresswoman Dean is more likely to become aware of the project and potentially form an opinion if the project becomes controversial. Otherwise, she is unlikely to engage unless the project can be clearly linked to a policy issue she wants to tout in the district. Dean recognizes the threat of climate change, and while it does not appear to be her priority issue, she has voted in favor of renewable energy programs and tax incentives, and is unlikely to oppose the project. Cranberry Hollow developers will likely not need to do any engagement with the federal delegation, however, they will probably find a supporters in Rep. Dean and Sen. Casey.
U.S. Senate
- Senator Bob Casey (D): Bob Casey, Jr. is a Democrat who has represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate since 2007. He is up for reelection in 2024. Prior to serving in Congress, Casey served eight years as Pennsylvania’s Auditor General and two years as State Treasurer. Before that, he practiced law in Scranton. He graduated from The College of the Holy Cross in 1982, spent a gap year teaching fifth grade in Philadelphia, and graduated with his law degree from Catholic University in Washington in 1988. Senator Casey has been vocal about the dangers of global climate change though he is not in favor of a national fracking ban. He is very supportive of expanding renewable energy, including solar, saying “By making bold investments in renewable energy technologies that will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we will not only tackle the climate crisis, but will improve the health of our communities and create thousands of good-paying jobs. We can and we must do both.”
- Committees: Finance; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Select Committee on Intelligence; Special Committee on Aging
- Senator Pat Toomey (R): Pat Toomey is a Republican who has represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate since 2011. He is not seeking reelection in 2022 (see below). As a member of the Senate, Toomey has focused much of his attention on tax and finance issues, making tax reform and cuts a major plank of his agenda. The Senate support fossil energy exploration in Pennsylvania and elsewhere and has opposed subsidies and incentives for energy sources such as renewable and biofuels. His website touts his efforts to move legislation that would have ended the production and investment tax credits for renewables. He has also been quoted multiple times saying that the existing body of climate science does not merit new regulatory burdens on consumers. Before being elected to the Senate, Toomey worked at Deutsche Bank, opened a restaurant with his brothers in Allentown, PA, and served on Allentown’s Government Study Commission. In 1998, Toomey was elected to the House of Representatives representing the Lehigh Valley. After leaving the House in 2004, Toomey became president of the Club for Growth, a conservative, pro-business 501(c)4, which opposed cap and trade legislation in 2009. He graduated from Harvard University.
- Toomey is retiring in 2022 leaving his Senate seat open. Candidates John Fetterman (D) and Dr. Mehmet Oz (R) advanced passed the May 2022 Primaries. Fetterman is supportive of renewable energy and providing clean energy job opportunities for disadvantaged and de-industrializing communities. Dr. Oz is less clear on the issue of renewables and has instead focused on increasing oil and gas production in Pennsylvania. He is previously quoted as saying, “The Green New Deal, it’s not real, and it can’t be done. I am telling you as a scientist.” However, there is a lot of daylight and nuance between the GND fundamentalist position and developing one-off solar projects.
- Committees: Finance; Budget; and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
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House of Representatives
- Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04): Madeleine Dean is a Democrat who has represented Pennsylvania’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2018. She is up for reelection in 2022. Prior to joining the House, Governor Tom Wolf appointed Madeleine to the Pennsylvania Commission for Women in 2015, to advise the Governor on policies and legislation to improve the lives of women and their families. Before that, Dean served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for six and a half years. And prior to serving in the legislature, Dean was elected as a commissioner in Abington Township in 2011, after years of working as a lawyer and as executive director of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association. Dean completed her undergraduate studies at La Salle University in Philadelphia, and earned her law degree at Delaware Law School of Widener University.
- Dean on multiple occasions has underscored the importance of environmental stewardship and protecting the health of Pennsylvanians. “In Congress, Rep. Dean supports legislation to boost America’s investments in renewable energy, fund green infrastructure, and reengage in global agreements to combat climate change.” And she has previously supported a carbon tax and other climate and clean energy legislation.
- Committees: Judiciary, Financial Services
- Relevant Caucuses: New Democrat Coalition, Congressional Progressive Caucus
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