Supporting Economic Development and Pollution Reduction

Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) is a $396 million statewide industrial decarbonization grant program funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grants. The purpose of this program is to offer grants for small-, medium-, and large-scale decarbonization projects at industrial facilities to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) and co-pollutant emissions by promoting investment into emissions reduction equipment and technology and energy efficiency upgrades.

Supporting Small to Mid-Sized Manufacturers
Energy and Operational Assessments

Our team of expert technical advisors can provide your facility with NO-COST Pollution Prevention & Energy Efficiency (P2/E2) Assessments that can help identify opportunities to lower your environmental impact and operational expenses. We can help you identify waste reduction opportunities and implement energy-efficient technologies to enhance your operations. Our focus is on both immediate savings and long-term sustainability, ensuring you stay competitive. These assessments act as the first step in getting support from the RISE PA program.

If you have not scheduled your assessment with our team, reach out today to get started!

Grant Funding for Implementation 

By funding innovative projects, RISE PA has the potential to eliminate millions of tons of GHG emissions, create thousands of good-paying jobs, and increase Pennsylvania’s manufacturing competitiveness. Eligible projects must reduce industrial sector emissions through industrial electrification, efficiency and process emissions reductions, switching to low-carbon fuels, installing on-site renewable energy, utilizing carbon capture and storage, and reducing fugitive emissions from natural gas and oil systems and coal mining.

We will begin accepting project applications in the first quarter of 2025. To be eligible, you must have a completed site assessment

Eligibility
Small to Mid-Sized Manufacturers (SMM)*
  • The site requesting funds must have manufacturing processes occurring at the assessed plant site
  • Fewer than 500 employees at the plan site or manufacturing firm
  • Project costs between $50K and $1M

*Manufacturing is defined as an entity that engages in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components. Eligible Applicants that are not SMMs cannot apply for the Small-scale Award Track (SAT), regardless of Total Project Cost (TPC). However, SMMs can apply to the Medium-scale Award Track (MAT) or Large-scale Award Track (LAT) if their Total Project Cost (TPC) exceeds $1M.

Other entities
  • Includes Energy-as-a-Service companies, Sustainability-as-a-Service companies, and property managers of industrial manufacturers.
  • These entities may apply for SAT funding if the project is conducted at an eligible SMM, and all application materials are completed.
  • Senior leadership at the impacted SMM facility must provide written support for the project and commitment to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
  • Roles and responsibilities must be clearly outlined in the Monitoring, Measurement, and Verification (MMV) Narrative and signed by both the applicant and the SMM’s senior leadership.
Applicable Project Types
  • Projects submitted to the SAT must reduce GHG emissions through the installation of one or more of the following technologies:
    • Electrification technologies such as low- or zero-carbon process heat systems, electric heat pumps, and other heating systems based on electricity
    • Energy efficiency technologies, including those that reduce direct fuel or electricity use, such as thermal storage, waste heat recovery, industrial heat pumps, combined heat and power (CHP) systems; utilize insulation, sensors or controls, deploy smart energy management systems, or other advanced energy efficiency technologies
    • Industrial process emission technologies, and waste reduction technologies such as those that reduce waste in industrial applications, including advanced recycling approaches
    • Fugitive emissions reduction technologies such as regenerative thermal oxidizers and ventilation air systems
    • Fuel switching technologies that enable the transition to low carbon fuels such as fluidized bed biomass furnaces, solar-thermal heating systems, clean hydrogen and direct reduced iron shaft furnaces designed or retrofitted for hydrogen-based reduction
    • On-site renewable energy technologies such as solar photovoltaic systems, wind turbines, micro-hydropower, or geothermal; a. Note: Only the portion of a renewable energy system generating electricity that is required on-site at the SMM will be eligible for funding
    • Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies such as flue gas carbon capture systems or calcium looping carbon dioxide capture systems
    • Other technology that reduces industrial GHG emissions, as determined by RISE PA

 

Base grants cover 50% of the total project costs, up to max $500K.

 

For additional details, please see the RISE PA Grant Program Guidance: Small Award Track (PDF).

Additional Resources

The Pennsylvania State University intends to make awards to recipients through Subaward agreements. These Subawards will be cost reimbursable and contain required flow down terms and conditions from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Pennsylvania State University will retain ultimate control and responsibility for the project, and the subrecipient will be bound by these conditions and any other requirements applicable in the performance of the project. These terms will be non-negotiable.

All subrecipients shall maintain current registration in the System for Award Management at all times during the project.

To learn more about how PennTAP and RISE PA can help your business, contact our team.