Governor Shapiro Announces New RISE PA Grant for Sanofi Pasteur | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Swiftwater, PA - Today, Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Jessica Shirley visited Sanofi Pasteur's Swiftwater vaccine manufacturing facility in Monroe County to highlight a new Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) grant to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, lower energy costs, and improve efficiency.

The company's $10,646,316 grant is part of the most recent round of RISE PA grants and will help replace eight natural gas fired dehydrators - used to process and dispose of egg waste generated during vaccine production - with a new paddle dryer and regenerative thermal oxidizer, modernizing the facility's operations with cleaner energy equipment and reducing natural gas use by approximately 65 percent.

"Here in Monroe County, we're helping reduce energy costs, create jobs, and cut down on harmful air pollution by ensuring businesses like Sanofi can operate more efficiently and continue their lifesaving work producing nearly half of our nation's flu vaccine supply," said Governor Shapiro. "Across the Commonwealth, I've heard from business owners who have told me that lowering emissions strengthens their operations, supports their workers and communities, and helps their bottom line - and my Administration is delivering hundreds of millions of dollars to support their efforts to invest in their operations."

The RISE PA grant program is a $396 million statewide industrial decarbonization initiative funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grants, announced in July 2024. Medium- and Large-scale Award Track's awards were announced April 24, 2026 and the Small-scale Award Track's (SAT) first round of awards was announced April 1, 2026, with additional funding rounds planned through 2028. 

"RISE PA enables companies like Sanofi to save money and cut pollution at the same time," said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. "This project not only helps to improve local air quality and create jobs for Pennsylvanians, but it also enhances Pennsylvania's competitiveness in a global marketplace with increasingly strict controls on the climate impacts of imported goods."

"For 15 years, Sanofi has invested more than $1.3 billion in capital investment into its Swiftwater campus and today's grant builds on that legacy of investment - not just expanding output, but in making the operation cleaner and more sustainable for the long term," said Monroe County Commissioner John Christy. "The company speaks to both the strength of this project and the importance of our county to Pennsylvania's industrial future. This investment has a real impact and we're proud that Monroe County continues to be a place where world-class companies choose to invest, grow, and modernize."

In Swiftwater, Sanofi specializes in the development and production of vaccines - and at the site, Sanofi manufactures approximately 42 percent of all influenza vaccine doses that protect Americans each year. The Swiftwater plant is one of the primary vaccine manufacturing sites for the global pharmaceutical leader, and is a cornerstone business in the Poconos.

"For over 129 years this campus has been an economic cornerstone for this region, from its roots in agriculture to its evolution as an advanced biomanufacturing hub offering highly skilled and paid jobs to thousands of people in our area," said Rakesh Kakkar, Vice President and Head of Manufacturing & Supply, Sanofi. "This investment advances Sanofi's global ambition of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, as well as the Commonwealth's industrial decarbonization goals. Thank you again to Governor Shapiro for awarding us this grant and for continuing to champion our efforts as we chase the miracles of science to improve people's lives."

By replacing the natural gas fired hydrators with a new, more energy efficient dryer and oxidizer, the project will reduce 516 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent within its first year of operation - the equivalent of removing 120 cars from the road for one year or eliminating emissions from 58,062 gallons of gasoline. The project will also create approximately 40 new jobs, including union construction jobs.

Shapiro Administration's Record on Environmental Protection in Pennsylvania

From day one, Governor Shapiro has been committed to protecting a healthy environment for every Pennsylvanian while working to lower energy costs for families and businesses. The Shapiro Administration has consistently fought for energy affordability, including in Governor Shapiro's 2026-27 budget address, where he called for continued efforts to lower costs for families, ensure fair utility practices, and protect ratepayers from unnecessary price increases.

The Shapiro Administration is also making historic investments in environmental protection and infrastructure. It has invested more than $3.5 billion in clean water projects through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST), including replacing more than 38,000 lead service lines and upgrading wastewater treatment systems across the Commonwealth. An additional $100 million in state funding has been allocated to clean up waterways statewide.

The Shapiro Administration has also secured significant funding to address legacy environmental challenges, drawing down more than $210 million in federal funding to plug 400 orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells - more than were plugged in the previous ten years combined - and secured more than $29 million in state funding to continue this critical work and reduce methane emissions that contribute to climate change.

For a full list of businesses that have been awarded RISE PA LAT grants, click here.

To learn more about RISE PA's grant program, please visit the DEP website.