PA Environment Digest Blog: Thursday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips 3.17.22

"In the long run, we want to wean ourselves from Russian fossil energy and from fossil energy overall," said French environment minister Barbara Pompili.

-- Reuters: Portugal Says Europe Must Cut Use Of Russian Natural Gas However Difficult

"The war in Ukraine will definitely push Europe towards faster decarbonisation because it cannot rely so much on fossil fuels that it does not produce," said Portugal's Environment and Energy Transition Minister Joao Matos Fernandes.

-- The Guardian: UK Can Eliminate Need For Russian Natural Gas This Year Thru Energy Efficiency, Expanding Renewables

“Cutting gas use would also ease the cost of living crisis amid soaring fossil fuel prices.”

-- Defense & Security Monitor: EU Unveils Ambitious Plan To Reduce Energy Imports From Russia

“The new geopolitical and energy market reality has forced the EU to drastically accelerate its clean energy transition and increase Europe’s energy independence from unreliable suppliers and volatile fossil fuel prices.”

-- YaleEnvironment360: Will Russia’s War Spur Europe to Move On Green Energy?

“The EU had planned to reduce natural gas consumption more than 25 percent by 2030” as part of their climate change initiatives.

-- Reuters: European Lawmaker Group Asks EU To Withdraw Green Investment Label For Natural Gas

“Around 100 European Union lawmakers asked Brussels on Wednesday to withdraw plans to label energy investments in gas as green, saying this undermined Europe's push to reduce reliance on Russian fossil fuels.”

-- Reuters: London-based Swiss Re - World’s 2nd Biggest Reinsurer-- Increases Number Of Oil/Gas Producers It Refuses To Cover To Reduce Carbon Footprint

-- Bloomberg Green: France’s Biggest Insurer Dumps German Power Giant Over Coal

-- WSJ: Oil Market Faces Biggest Supply Crisis In Decades Unless OPEC Boosts Output, IEA Says

“Beyond the spare capacity of leading OPEC members Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, there are no other sources of additional supply that can balance the market.”

“U.S. oil inventories last week were about 13% lower than a year earlier, according to Energy Information Administration data released Wednesday.

“Domestic production has been flat at about 11.6 million barrels a day since autumn, though drillers have deployed more rigs in recent weeks as prices climbed.”

Reuters: Europe Seeks Breakthrough On Climate Change Plans Amid Energy Crisis

-- Financial Times: Fossil Fuel Energy Traders Call For ‘Emergency’ Central Bank Intervention To Avert A Cash Crunch As Sharp Price Moves Triggered By Ukraine Invasion Strain Oil & Gas, Commodity Markets

American Rescue Plan Funding

-- $11 Billion In Federal American Rescue Plan Funding To PA State Government, Local Governments Has Yet To Be Invested. What’s Your Community Doing?

Other States/National/International

-- The Guardian: The Stealth Operative For Big Oil Who’s Out To Derail America’s Climate Fight - Phil Goldberg

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- AP: PA Supreme Court Upholds Voting District Maps For Senate, House

-- Spotlight PA: PA Supreme Court Rejects Challenges To State House, Senate Voting District Maps

-- PA Cap-Star: PA’s New House, Senate Voting District Maps OK’d By PA Supreme Court

-- MCall: Court Rejects Challenges To Voting District Maps Triggering Launch Of short, Intense Campaign Season

-- MCall: Federal Judge Throws Out Lehigh County Voters’ Lawsuit Over Uncounted Mail-In Ballots