PA Environment Digest Blog: Wednesday PA Environment & Energy Articles

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”

-- Article I, Section 27 Pennsylvania Constitution [It’s Not A Suggestion]

House Voting Schedule

September 28, 29, 30

October 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21

November 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule

September 28, 29, 30

October 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21

November 17, 18

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

September 24-- Virtual. DEP, PHFA Webinar On New Homeowner Energy Efficiency Loan Program To Reduce Your Energy Costs. Noon.

September 24-- Virtual. Penn State Extension Backyard Stream Repair Webinars (2 of 5) - Determining Your Options. 10:00 to 11:30 p.m.

September 25-- Agenda Posted. DEP Low-Level Radioactive Waste Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson. 10:00 a.m. (formal notice)

September 26-- In-Person. Heroes' Walk At Flight 93 National Memorial In Somerset County

September 29-- Virtual. Penn State Extension Backyard Stream Repair Webinars (3 of 5) - Choosing Your Plants For Your Stream. 10:00 to 11:30 p.m.

September 29 to Oct. 2-- In-Person. Swarthmore Fungi Fest.

September 30-- Agenda Added. House Energy Committee meets to consider House Bill 2755 (Pielli-D-Chester) requiring investor-owned utilities to join PJM to eliminate a “windfall” payment utilities receive at ratepayer expense; House Bill 2775 (Donahue-D-Lackawanna) to reduce development of speculative data center proposals, the legislation requires data center applicants seeking local zoning or land-use approval to demonstrate that they have submitted an interconnection application with the applicable electric utility provider and paid all mandatory fees and costs associated with the application; House Resolution 564 (Freeman-D-Lehigh) directs the Joint State Government commission to investigate how heat from data centers can be captured and repurposed to improve energy efficiency, lower operating costs and reduces waste head emissions. Room 205 Ryan Building. 9:30 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

September 30-- Agenda Posted. DEP Sewage Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson. 9:00 a.m.

September 30-- In-Person. Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community meeting on Sherwin Williams Facility. Rochester Riverfront Park, Rochester. 6:00 p.m.

October 5-- NEW. House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee holds a hearing on road spreading oil and gas wastewater and DEP’s new “mineral brine” conventional well permit. Room 205 Ryan Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online. Read background here.

October 14-- In-Person. DEP Public Meeting/Hearing On Major Amendment To Water Quality Permit For Homer City Data Center/Power Plant Complex In Indiana County. Homer Center High School Auditorium, 70 Wildcat Lane, Homer City. 5:00 to 7:30 p.m.

-- Wednesday - PA Environment & Energy Articles - NewsClips: 9.23.26 [PaEN]

-- Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Celebrates 30 Years Of Hope, Hard Work Reclaiming Legacy Abandoned Mine Lands, Mine Water Pollution Across NE PA [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvanians Are Finding Their Voices Again On Environmental, Energy Issues They Care About [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension: 10 Years Of Service By Master Watershed Steward Geoffrey Selling Has Made A Real Impact In Montgomery County [PaEN]

-- Public Utility Commission To Hold Nov. 17 Technical Conference On Utility Costs Driven By A.I. Data Centers, Other Large Loads [PaEN]

-- CNX Gas Co. Announces Expansion Of 'Radical Transparency' Initiative To Include Disclosure Of Radiation Monitoring Results At Some Facilities; Groups Say Monitoring Is Not Comprehensive Enough [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project Blog: So You Don’t Want To Live Near Natural Gas Facilities - A Guide To Homebuying In Southwest PA

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Why Do Pennsylvania Elected Officials Want To Take My Family’s Oil & Gas Rights From Us By Retroactively Changing Laws? - By Jeff Sloan, Thorne Family Member

-- Scranton Times: PPL Offering Electric Vehicle Drivers Incentive To Charge During Low-Demand times

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Tribes Say Federal Chesapeake Bay Program Is ‘Unwilling’ To Give Them A Seat At The Table

-- TribLive: Environmentalists Work To Restore Fern Hollow Ecosystem After Bridge Collapse In Frick Park

-- PA Environmental Council Now Accepting Applications For PA Water Trail Mini-Grants; Applicant Webinar Oct. 5 [PaEN]

-- Observer-Reporter: Montour, Panhandle Touted As Key Segments Of Great American Rail Trail

-- Outdoor Business Alliance Of PA: Sept. 28 Webinar On Engaging With Your Tourism Promotion Agency + Chamber Of Commerce, Noon to 1:00 p.m.

-- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: Latest Highlights From Fall Raptor Migration; Upcoming Experiences On The Mountain

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Altoona Mirror - Robert Swift: PA House Energy Committee Chair Rep. Fiedler Drafting Legislation To Give Gov. Shapiro’s Data Center Executive Order Some Teeth

-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: Link Logistics Testing Waters For A.I. Data Center 100 Feet From Homes In Trainer Boro, Delaware County

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Florida Developer Planning A.I. Data Center/Power Plant Complex In Forward Twp., Butler County; Township Hearing Thursday [Sept. 24]

-- Scranton Times: Valley View School District Lawsuit Could Halt Project Gravity A.I. Data Centers In Archbald Boro

-- Observer-Reporter: Developer’s Engineer Testifies About Natural Gas Power Plant Complex At Starpointe Data Center Hearing In Hanover Twp., Washington County

-- WVIA: Project Gravity Data Center Developer Plans To Submit Final Land Plans To Archbald Boro In Lackawanna County

-- Scranton Times: Benton Twp. Approves Data Center Ordinance; Residents Say It Doesn’t Go Far Enough In Lackawanna County

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Plains Twp. Weighs Data Center Zoning In Luzerne County: ‘This Isn’t Something We’ve Ever Taken Lightly’

-- TribLive: Allegheny County Council Unanimously Bans Large A.I. Data Centers On County Property

-- Inside Climate News: Could Abandoned Mine Lands House Pennsylvania’s Unwanted Data Centers? [Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Issues Cautions About This Complex Mined Landscape]

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: Pennsylvania’s A.I. Data Center Boom Is Repeating Old Patterns Of Exploitation

-- We’ve Heard This Before: ‘We’re Providing Jobs - Stopping Pollution Threatens Jobs’ - A Brief Review Of Pennsylvania’s Conservation History [PaEN]

-- TribLive Guest Essay: There Are Genuine Reasons For Secrecy Surrounding Acquisition Of Land And Construction Of Data Centers And Nondisclosure Agreements - By Matt Putnam, National Taxpayers Union Foundation

-- The Center Square: PA Sen. McCormick Floats Dedicated Department To Handle A.I.

-- Bloomberg: A.I. Data Centers Release Heat, Posing New Problem For Cities

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- September 23: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Down 1 Penny Since Yesterday $4.55/Gallon - $1.44/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Warren County $4.77 Highest Average Price]

-- September 23: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.47 Ohio- $4.45 PA- $4.55

-- Feb. 27: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $2.98 Ohio- $2.79 PA- $3.11

-- TribLive: $6 Per Gallon: Heating Oil Prices Spike As Global Supply Chokes

-- Bloomberg: US Diesel Export Ban Would Be Calamity For The Market; Potentially Increases Prices In America