PA Environment Digest Blog: Penn State, Shell Petrochemicals, Shell Pipeline Company Announce Collaboration Focused On Energy And Sustainability

Penn State University and Shell USA Inc. have announced the launch of a collaboration that will support efforts across the University’s mission of research, education and community impact.

An initial commitment from Shell of more than $1 million will fund initiatives focused on energy transition, decarbonization, polymer recycling and biodiversity, and the creation of an inclusive and innovative energy workforce.

“Sustainability is a shared priority and responsibility that will require collaboration among industry leaders like Shell and research institutions like Penn State to develop the advances that will help our Commonwealth, nation and world continue to thrive far into the future,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “I am grateful to Shell for its ongoing, multifaceted support of this important work, and I am excited to continue exploring how our collective expertise and belief in innovation can create far-reaching positive impacts.”

Emma Lewis, senior vice president for Shell U.S. Chemicals and Products, said, “Our strategy and our purpose is to provide more and cleaner energy for today and the future. This demands we support inclusive and economically vibrant communities. We believe Penn State can be an invaluable partner in achieving this progress. Cooperation among industries and academia represents the pathway to answer the challenges of the future.”

Shell support includes investments in opportunities for Penn State students to build capability and talent for the workforce of the future that will be vital to take on the challenges of a changing energy system.

Student organizations in the colleges of Engineering and Earth and Mineral Sciences and the Smeal College of Business received funding for their activities, with a special focus on groups pursuing greater diversity, equity and inclusion in their fields.

Shell also has provided resources for hands-on education through Penn State programs, including the Learning Factory in the College of Engineering and field courses in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Other funding initiatives include:

Faculty at Penn State Behrend and Penn State’s Advanced Resource Efficiency Center will analyze the current state of polymer recycling in Pennsylvania — a critical question for economic development and industrial decision making.

Polymers are prevalent in products such as tires and synthetic fabrics, and recycling them can mitigate the impact of plastics in the environment and create efficiencies in resource use.

In the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Shell funding will help to assess Pennsylvania’s role as an energy producer in the Northeast, focusing on the demand for natural gas and the potential of renewables and biofuels as the Commonwealth explores a future of net-zero carbon emissions that also allows for economic vitality.

Both faculty and student researchers at Penn State Altoona will partner with Shell Pipeline Company LP to study the effects of pipeline right-of-way vegetation management on flora and fauna, with a goal of maintaining habitats and biodiversity through strategic conservation practices.

In the College of Agricultural Sciences, home to some of the nation’s top food sensory and consumer scientists, research will explore consumer perception of polymer-based packaging, with funding from Shell Chemicals and Products going toward postdoctoral, undergraduate and staff members of the Sensory Evaluation Center.

Support for a round table event to bring together industry, nonprofit, government and academic leaders to continue to build a diverse and interdisciplinary community dedicated to energy transition and decarbonization in the Commonwealth.

“We are just beginning to tap the potential of this emerging partnership between Penn State and Shell,” said Andrew Read, the University’s senior vice president for Research. “Our faculty and students bring both expertise and enthusiasm to every discipline engaged in energy transition, decarbonization and related efforts, and Shell’s deep commitment to the commonwealth and the company’s global reach will help our research to have an impact close to home and around the world.”

(Reprinted from Penn State News.)

NewsClips:

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Shell Flushes $1 Million Down Penn State Toilet On Energy Transition, DEI; Is It Buying Off Penn State? [PDF of article]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Leaders At Beaver County Shell Petrochemical Plant Admit To Rocky Start But Insist Operations Are Stabilizing

Resource Links - Shell Petrochemicals:

-- Attorney General Henry Files Charges Against Shell Falcon Pipeline For Failure To Report Drilling Issues That Caused Industrial Waste, Potential for Water Pollution [PaEN]

-- DEP Signs Consent Order Including $10 Million In Penalties, Local Payments With Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County To Resolve Air Quality Violations; Plant To Restart May 24 [PaEN]

-- DEP: Shell Petrochemical Plant Pays Additional $2,671,044.75 In Civil Penalties For 12-Month Air Quality Violations After May 2023 Consent Order [PaEN]

-- DEP: $5 Million In Grants Recommended To Support Mitigation Projects In Beaver County Related To Shell Petrochemical Plant Environmental Violations + Shell Paid Total Penalties Of $7,606,027.75 [PaEN]

-- Beaver County Residents Call For Accountability, Emergency Preparedness After Dozens Of Malfunctions, Pollution From Shell Petrochemical Plant [PaEN]

-- PA Taxpayers To Give $130.9 Million In Tax Credits To Subsidize Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County; Total Expected To Be $1.17 Billion Thru 2042; No Regard For Environmental Compliance Record [PaEN]

-- Intense, Bright White Light From The Shell Plastics Plant Turns Night Into Day For Many Neighbors Of The Beaver County Plant [PaEN]