PA Environment Digest Blog: Friday 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]

Senate Voting Schedule

November 17, 18, 19

December 8, 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

House Voting Schedule

November 17, 18, 19

December 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

TODAY 10:00: Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing on safeguarding residential water wells. Columbia Crossing River Trails Center, 41 Walnut St., Columbia, Lancaster County. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

TODAY 9:00: Virtual/In-Person. DEP Sewage Advisory Committee meetings on Chapter 71-73 proposed on-lot septic system regulation changes. Boyertown Community Ambulance Service Building, 2 East 2nd Street, Boyertown, Berks County. 9:00 a.m. Contact: Tomisa Kiskadden at tkiskadden@pa.gov or (814) 332-6677. (formal notice)

November 17-- House Tourism, Recreation & Economic Development Committee informational meeting on increasing registration fees for ATVs, snowmobiles. Room 523 Irvis Building. 9:30 a.m. Click Here to watch live.

November 17-- House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee hearing on increasing setback requirements from unconventional shale gas wells - House Bill 1946 (Vitali-D-Delaware). Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live. Read more here on the issue.

November 17-- House Energy Committee holds informational meeting on small modular nuclear reactors. Room B-31 Main Capitol. 10:30 a.m. Click Here to watch live.

November 18-- House Energy Committee meeting to consider House Bill 1260 (Siegel-D- Lehigh) encouraging solar energy facilities at warehouses (sponsor summary); House Bill 2017 (Giral-D-Philadelphia) changing annual fees charged to nuclear reactors by DEP to promote modular nuclear reactors (sponsor summary). Room B-31 Main Capital. 10:30. Click Here to watch live.

-- PA Environmental Council Recognizes City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Water Department For Sustainability Leadership Nov. 19 [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Tom Horton: The Birth Of An Idea: Franklin Kury And A Clean Environment As A Fundamental Right In Pennsylvania’s Constitution

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation: PA State Budget Settlement Holds Promises And Pitfalls For The Environment [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Despite Federal Shutdown’s End, Damage To Bay Restoration Could Linger

-- More Than 100 PA Businesses, Environmental Groups, Civic Leaders Write PUC Urging Action On Reforms To Speed Local Connections To Grid To Increase Energy Supplies, Resiliency, Affordability [PaEN]

-- Time Running Out To Use Expiring Federal Tax Credits For Solar Energy Installations; Join The 45 Southeast PA Communities That Already Have [PaEN]

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: Gov. Shapiro Files To Discontinue PA Supreme Court Appeal Of RGGI Rule After State Budget Deal [RGGI Was Never Implemented]

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Ends Attempt At Carbon Pollution Regulation [RGGI], Leaving Questions On How To Address Climate Change

-- WTAE: Mobile Home Community In Butler County On Bottled Water For A Month Amid Water System Issues

-- November 15 - Pennsylvania Bulletin Now Available

-- Registration Open! PA Aquatic Resource Restoration Conference March 3-4, State College [PaEN]

A.I. /Data Centers

-- TribLive: Questions Remain After Dueling Meetings On Springdale A.I. Data Center In Allegheny County

-- Post-Gazette: 3,200 Acre Homer City A.I. Data Center Campus Seeks To Become A Natural Gas-Fueled Powerhouse In Indiana County

-- WNEP: Amazon Helps Revitalize Berwick Theater In Columbia County

-- Inside Climate News: New Unifying Issue - Just About Everyone Hates A.I. Data Centers

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: CNX Gas Co LLC failed to restore Herminie shale gas well pad in Sewickley Township, Westmoreland County within 9 months after last well was drilled. Read more here.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Kriebel Natural Gas Co LLC conventional well in Kiskiminetas Township, Armstrong County found abandoned, not plugged and with no recent production, waste generation and well integrity reports. Kriebel holds 1,680 permits. Read more here.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Ronald D. Meyer conventional well in Le Boeuf Township, Erie County found abandoned, not plugged and with no recent production, waste generation and well integrity reports. Read more here.

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- US EIA: Natural Gas Prices To Increase 16% In 2026, Driven By LNG Gas Exports

-- US EIA: Electricity Prices To Continue Rise In 2026 Driven By A.I. Data Center Demand

-- Utility Dive: National State Utility Commission Task Force Says US Needs More Natural Gas Storage To Support Generation For Electric Grid, Stopped Short Of Recommending Gas Reliability Organization

-- Bloomberg: Germany Cuts Huge Plan To Build Gas-Fired Power Plants In Half In Favor Of Clean Energy, Storage, Energy Efficiency

Other States/National

-- AP: Body Of Coal Miner Found In Flooded West Virginia Mine, Governor Says

-- National Geographic: Climate Change Causing Iron, Heavy Metals To Leach Out Of Permafrost Turning Alaska’s Rivers Orange [Similar Pollutants To PA Acid Mine Drainage] [PDF of Article]

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Erie Times: Who Are Winners, Losers After PA’s Split Legislature Passes $50.1 Billion Budget?

-- PennLive: PA State Budget Winners And Losers