2025 Lehigh Valley Sustainability Summit

Meet Our BOARD

​​Click here to read our Energy & Environment priorities


                  Greater Lehigh Valley Energy and Environmental Policy Statements

         Energy Mission Statement

The Greater Lehigh Chamber of Commerce represents a community of more than 5,000 businesses with nearly 300,000 employees contributing to our economy and our quality of life.  To support this community, the Chamber developed an Energy and Environment committee to inform and engage the business community and partner with local, state, and federal organizations in promoting sound energy and environmental policies and infrastructure investments.  This committee, active since 2011, is seeing unprecedented challenges to providing reliable, affordable energy to those in the Lehigh Valley as well as to regions across the United States.   We urgently request that lawmakers prioritize the development of energy solutions that keep our nation secure, our economy growing, and our environment clean.

This includes supporting policies that:

• Increase energy supply and diversify energy sources while maintaining adequate dispatchable generating capacity (thermal and nuclear) to offset grid impairments due to increased wind and solar installations.
• Support integrity of the (PJM) power grid.
• Modernize and protect energy infrastructure, including electricity grids and pipelines.
• Increase the energy sector’s resiliency against impacts of storms, cyberterrorism, and other manmade or natural hazards.
• Promote energy efficiency across all sectors
• Reduce overly burdensome regulations that limit investment and imperil competitiveness.
• Address critical shortages of industry professionals and encourages career pathways with innovative policies.                 

We believe climate change concerns should be addressed as a function of energy security through a sensible approach that is built on the following core principles:

• Education: Our business community must have timely, accurate, and factual information on energy and environmental matters in order for them to make educated deci2sions regarding their business.
• Efficiency: Consumers and producers must use fuel and power more efficiently, considering all energy-environmental-economic aspects.
• Technology: Government and businesses should promote investment in, and development of, new technologies that expand alternative energies.
• Economic Growth: Improving our energy infrastructure will create jobs in all sectors and will help enhance our economic growth and build a strong foundation for future development.                                                              

To sustain our economy and spur job creation, we need a secure and diverse energy supply while improving environmental performance. These issues require commonsense solutions that harness technologies, promote economic growth and efficiency, and achieve environmental benefits.  And to implement these solutions, we must streamline our regulatory processes while providing long-term regulatory certainty.
Society recognizes our need for reliable, affordable energy.  We recognize the need to replace inefficient, higher-polluting energy resources.  Unfortunately, we have been slow to recognize the increasing rate of power plant retirements, the increasing time required in permitting, and the increasing overall energy demand here in the valley and across the United States.  The time for action is now.  Support new reliable, dispatchable, clean energy for the Greater Lehigh Valley and beyond.


       Environmental Mission Statement

Objective: The GLVCC promotes environmental policies that encourage investment in sustainability initiatives and development of innovative technologies that advance economic benefits and protect the quality of the Lehigh Valley’s abundant and unique natural resources.

Strategy: Educate and engage the Chamber’s business community with timely, accurate, and factual information on energy and environmental matters in order for them to make educated decisions regarding their businesses and partner with local, state, and federal organizations in promoting informed and constructive environmental policies.

Areas of Focus: Clean Water, Clean Air, Pollution Prevention, Waste Minimization, Land Reuse/Development, Preservation of Natural Resources and Climate Change


Denise Maiatico
Vice President, Public Policy and External Affairs
[email protected] | 610-730-4002

Isabelle Jabbour
Manager, Government & External Affairs​
isabellej@lehighvalleychamber.org | 610-810-6412

Committee Policies: 
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• Marcellus Shale Policy
  
  
• Nuclear Generation Working Principles

 

• ​PennEast Pipeline​

• Plastic Bag Policy

 

• Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) or a RGGI-like program​

 

• Recommended Position on use of RGGI Funding ​

 

• Waste to Energy