RELEASE: Pittsburgh business leaders hand-deliver letter to U.S. Senators’ offices in name of American energy independence
June 11, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pittsburgh business leaders hand-deliver letter to U.S. Senators’ offices in name of American energy independence
The letter urges the Senators to preserve federal energy tax credits to support 100,000 Pennsylvania jobs
Pittsburgh, PA — Today Pittsburgh business leaders gathered at the Pittsburgh City-County Portico to herald the importance of federal energy tax credits to Pennsylvania’s job market and economy, and then hand-delivered a letter to Senator Dave McCormick and Senator John Fetterman’s Pittsburgh district offices in the name of securing American energy independence.
The letter they delivered outlines the need to preserve federal energy tax credits in order to save more than 100,000 Pennsylvania energy jobs and help businesses, farms, municipalities, schools and houses of worship continue to save tens of thousands of dollars a year by going solar and leveraging energy efficiency programs. The letter can be viewed here.
In addition, these business leaders believe the key to lowering energy costs for all consumers and securing American energy independence lies in adding more reliable, cheap, domestic energy sources to our power grid. This includes solar, wind, and battery storage, as well as energy efficiency. Renewables, storage, and demand response have not only achieved the technological advances needed to assist our power grid in running reliably, but the business infrastructure has already been put in place by the visionary leaders of the energy industry.
Business leaders who spoke included Joe Morinville, President of EIS Solar; Jon Bunyaratapan, Manager of Solar Business Development, Envinity; Kade Amster, Business Development at Greentech Renewables – Pittsburgh; and Joshua Thomas, an energy efficiency contractor and Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Implementer.
“EIS Solar began in Pittsburgh in 2008 and has since expanded to six other states and Washington, D.C.,” said Joe Morinville, President of EIS Solar. “With our growth has come the hiring of 50 workers and helping countless residents and organizations reduce or eliminate their energy bills altogether. We attribute much of our growth to the federal energy tax credits — if these credits go away, the future of our company, and of our employees, is uncertain.”
“Envinity employs over 80 people and for 20 years we’ve helped countless businesses, farms, hospitals, schools, and municipalities save tens of thousands of dollars each year by going solar and becoming more energy efficient,” said Jon Bunyaratapan, Manager of Solar Business Development at Envinity. “The federal energy tax credits play a big role in allowing us to help organizations and homeowners find energy independence, as well in providing family-sustaining jobs in the community.”
“Greentech Renewables is a leading name in solar distribution, boasting over 100 locations strategically positioned in major solar markets throughout the U.S.,” said Kade Amster, Business Development at Greentech Renewables – Pittsburgh. “Our team nationwide is dedicated to supporting developers and investors in installing more solar across the country. However, if the proposed elimination of federal energy tax credits goes through, the damage to our business and many of those we work with could be irreparable.”
“PITT OHIO’s investments in renewable energy, power storage, and electric vehicles have enabled growth and hiring,” said Justine Russ, Director of Sustainability and Business Intelligence at PITT OHIO. “Both customers and employees support our renewable energy projects, notably our patented solar and wind-powered microgrid in Harmar, PA. We join the American Sustainable Business Network and Pennsylvania Sustainable Business Network in urging action on these tax credits.”
Renewables are the fastest and cheapest deployable energy sources available, from large utility-scale wind and solar systems to rooftop solar on homes, businesses, farms, and houses of worship. And as energy demand increases from data centers, AI, and cryptocurrencies, adding more energy resources, not subtracting them, is important as is using energy more efficiently.
The letter delivered by business leaders was initially sent to members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation in May. In the wake of the House vote, Pennsylvania’s business community decided to reopen the letter to gather additional signatures and ratchet up pressure on the Pennsylvania delegation to keep energy tax credits intact.
The federal budget bill that recently passed the House would end energy tax credits as soon as this year.
ABOUT THE PENNSYLVANIA SOLAR CENTER
The PA Solar Center is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with the mission to expand the economic benefits of solar to all Pennsylvanians. The Center offers technical assistance to non-profit organizations, businesses, and communities to help them go solar, savvy media communications and online resources for all solar stakeholders, and education for decision-makers and advocates about the benefits of robust solar policy. Learn more at www.pasolarcenter.org.
ABOUT KEYSTONE ENERGY EFFICIENCY ALLIANCE (KEEA)
The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA) is a trade association representing more than 70 member businesses performing energy efficiency work in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or both. Our mission is to champion efficiency as the foundation of a just and resilient energy economy. KEEA works to grow the market for EE businesses and solutions that reduce baseline energy use in buildings, support grid-interactive “smart” technologies, and drive distributed energy resources to reduce pressure on the grid.
ABOUT E2
E2 is a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors, and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for smart policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment. Our members have founded or funded more than 2,500 companies, created more than 600,000 jobs, and managed more than $100 billion in venture and private equity capital. For more information, see www.e2.org or follow us on X/Twitter at @e2org and Bluesky at @e2org.bsky.social.
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