Governor Josh Shapiro rolled out a hefty climate-and-jobs package on Tuesday, steering more than $267 million in grants to industrial projects across Pennsylvania that are designed to cut emissions and lower energy bills at the same time. One of the headline awards is a roughly $31.5 million grant to CNX Green Ventures to drill gob ventilation boreholes and build pipeline infrastructure at the Enlow Fork coal mine so methane can be captured before it escapes into the atmosphere. State officials said the funding round backs 31 projects and will create construction and manufacturing jobs in legacy industrial communities, blending pollution reductions with near-term economic benefits for manufacturers and their workers.
In a state press release, the administration said the awards - part of the RISE PA program - total $267,825,172 and are expected to cut more than 1.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in their first year while saving businesses roughly $3.1 million annually in energy costs. The announcement came at Gautier Steel in Johnstown, where Governor Shapiro and DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley talked up the jobs and competitiveness gains for manufacturers, according to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The release also notes that roughly $52 million remains available for a subsequent round of MAT and LAT awards.
CNX project in Greene County
One of the largest LAT awards went to CNX Green Ventures LLC, which received $31,512,922 to install gob ventilation boreholes at the Enlow Fork coal mine in Greene County and to build a pipeline to transport the gas for offsite processing, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times. State and company materials say the new infrastructure will safely move captured methane to processors where it can be upgraded and marketed. Local officials framed the award as both a climate measure and an economic opportunity for the region.
What remediated mine gas does
Remediated mine gas (RMG) captures methane that would otherwise vent from active or abandoned coal mines and turns it into a usable, ultra-low carbon-intensity energy product, the company explains. CNX says capturing that gas prevents potent greenhouse-gas emissions while supplying power plants, data centers, and industrial users with a lower-carbon option. Because ventilation-air and gas projects are capital-intensive, the state grants are meant to bridge the upfront costs that often block these projects from moving forward.
Why RISE PA matters
RISE PA is a $396 million statewide industrial decarbonization program funded through the U.S. EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants and is intended to help factories electrify, switch fuels, install on-site renewables, and reduce fugitive emissions, per the Department of Environmental Protection. DEP notes the next Medium- and Large-scale application window opens May 15, 2026, and that awarded projects may be reimbursed for eligible costs incurred as early as Oct. 1, 2024. PennTAP serves as the program partner for small-scale awards and provides application support for those competitions.
CNX has signaled in recent filings and public materials that remediated mine gas is a growth area for the company, citing significant methane-intensity reductions in its operations as it scales capture work. CNX reports that RMG both reduces emissions and can create a low-carbon feedstock for industrial customers. With the next RISE PA window opening soon, state and industry officials say additional award announcements are likely in the coming weeks.
