Awards/Recognition
-- Post-Gazette: Allegheny County Teen Gavin Lynch Receives Nobel Good Earth Sustainability Scholarship For Fighting For A Greener Future, One Of 2 Nationwide [PaEN]
-- Vote Now! For Pennsylvania's 2026 River Of The Year [PaEN]
-- LancasterOnline: Conestoga River Up For PA River Of The Year, A Win Could Honor Late Journalist Ad Crable; How To Vote [PDF of Article]
-- The Allegheny Front: Penn State Student Documentary ‘Rethinking Rt. 322’ Explores Ways To Minimize Construction Impacts
-- Pennsylvania Turnpike Earns Fourth Consecutive Perfect Score From PA GreenGov Council [PaEN]
Grants
-- DCNR Grants News: Tools For Evaluating Park Equity Webinar; 2 New Columbia Boro Parks; Next Grant Round Opens Jan. 22
Help Wanted
-- Interns Wanted: Pennsylvania Sea Grant Seeks Summer Undergraduate Interns [PaEN]
Upcoming Events
-- EPA, Corps Of Engineers Dec. 15 Hybrid Hearing In Pittsburgh On Proposed Changes To Waters Of The US Rule
-- December 18-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy Eagle Watch Volunteer Training, Zoom Option, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
-- TribLive: Avian Enthusiasts Prepare For Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count
-- PennLive: Hawk Count At Scott’s Mountain Records 5,800+ Raptors
-- York Daily Record: Bald Eagles Return To Hanover Nest Livestream
-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy: Eagle Watch Bus Tours Start Jan. 3
-- Penn State Extension Hosts Jan. 13 Webinar - Spotted Lanternfly Research Updates & Panel Discussion [PaEN]
-- Lower Susquehanna RiverKeeper Hosts Jan. 14 Data Centers in the Susquehanna River Basin – Let's Talk Water Usage With SRBC [PaEN]
-- South Mountain Partnership Holds Winter Partnership Meeting Jan. 30 In Franklin County [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Hosts Feb. 7 Woodlands Owners Conference At PennWest Clarion University [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Hosts Feb. 17 Webinar On The Oystershell Scale Invasive Insect - Frontiers In Forest Health [PaEN]
Public Participation
-- READ CAREFULLY! PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - December 13 [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Water Quality Permit Approvals For Eastern Gas Transmission & Storage Appalachian Reliability Pipeline Project In Armstrong, Greene, Westmoreland Counties [PaEN]
-- READ CAREFULLY! DEP Posted 61 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In December 13 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Permits For 5 Large Electric Transmission, Substation Projects In 14 Counties, Including 150 Mile Piney-Seward and Erie South-Piney Transmission Project Crossing 8 Counties [PaEN]
-- DEP Releases Draft 2026 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring, Assessment Report For Comment; Touts Cleaning Up 67 Miles Of Streams 7,105 Acres Of Lakes Since 2024 [PaEN]
Programs/Information
-- PJM Interconnection Issues Cold Weather Alert For Dec. 13 In Illinois, And Dec. 14, 15 In Its Western Region, Including Duquesne Light, Penn Power, West Penn Power [PaEN]
-- PaGasSwitch.com: Natural Gas Costs Increased From 9.26% to 57.5% Over The Last Year For Natural Gas Utility Customers Not Shopping For A Fuel Supplier [PaEN]
-- PUC Highlights Ways Natural Gas Customers Can Manage Winter Energy Use, Costs, Explore Energy Affordability Options [PaEN]
-- PUC Publishes Updates To Low-Income Natural Gas, Electric Utility Usage Reduction Program Regulations [PaEN]
-- DEP Awards $17.7 Million To Support 222 County Water Quality Cleanup Projects In Chesapeake Bay Watershed [PaEN]
-- PA Invests More Than $6.9 Million To Preserve 27 Farms, 2,354 Acres Of Prime Farmland In 13 Counties [PaEN]
-- The Nature Conservancy-PA Adds 279 Acres To Gallitzin State Forest In Cambria County [PaEN]
-- DCNR Invests Nearly $530,000 To Support 15 Projects To Protect Pennsylvania’s Native Biodiversity Across the Commonwealth [PaEN]
-- DCNR Resource News: How Do Trees And Plants Migrate? Community Tree Assistance Available; Jan. 1 First Day Hikes - 250 Celebration! [PaEN]
-- Forests For The Chesapeake Bay News: Wooly Caterpillar Weather Forecasts; Eastern Hemlocks; Phenological Fun!
-- Penn State Extension Energy Essentials: Guide To Extension Energy Team; Upcoming Learning Opportunities; Biogas; Home Heating Assistance Opens
-- The Guardian: Montana Youth Activists Who Won Landmark Climate Case Push For Court Enforcement
A.I. Data Centers
-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - December 15 [PaEN]
-- Morning Call - Elizabeth Deornellas: How A.I. Data Centers Are Driving Up The Cost Of Electricity And What Grid Operators Can Do [PDF of Article]
-- PUC: Most PA Electric Utility Consumers To See 3.7% To 10.6% Increase In Electricity Prices During The Next 3 Months Starting Dec. 1 [PaEN]
-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: PPL Proposed 7% Rate Hike A.I. Data Center Driven [PDF of Article]
-- PaGasSwitch.com: Natural Gas Costs Increased From 9.26% to 57.5% Over The Last Year For Natural Gas Utility Customers Not Shopping For A Fuel Supplier [PaEN]
-- Scranton Times: Customer, Elected Officials Blast Proposed PPL Rate Increase, Concerns About Ratepayers Footing The Bill For A.I. Data Centers [PDF of Article]
-- Morning Call: Lehigh Valley Residents Warn Of Affordability Crisis, Ask PUC To Reject PPL’s Proposed 7% Rate Increase
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: What’s Important In Affordable Energy? A Conversation With A Carnegie Mellon Energy Justice Professor
-- YaleEnvironment360: Pennsylvania Faces A New Natural Gas Fracking Boom With Soaring Energy Demands Needed To Feed A.I. Data Centers [PaEN]
-- Capitol Wire: Natural Gas Fracking Activity In Pennsylvania Surges As Power Demand From A.I. Data Centers Increases
-- Environmental Quality Board Votes To Accept Petition To Study An Increase In Setback Safety Zones From Shale Gas Wells; And 3 Petitions From Oil & Gas Industry To Change Other Requirements [PaEN]
-- Sen. Yaw Bill To Subsidize Building Only Natural Gas Power Plants To Help Meet The Energy Demands Of A.I. Data Centers; Continues ‘One Of The Above’ Energy Policy [PaEN]
-- EPA Publishes Guide To Getting Air Permits For A.I. Data Center Projects
-- Wall Street Journal: The Political Skirmish Over President’s A.I. Order Is Just Beginning The Populist Opposition Against Technology That Holds The Promise Of Eliminating Lots Of Jobs [PDF of Article]
-- Reuters: US House Passes Bill To Fast-Track Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting
Background On Issues
-- Environmental Quality Board Votes To Accept Petition To Study An Increase In Setback Safety Zones From Shale Gas Wells; And 3 Petitions From Oil & Gas Industry To Change Other Requirements [PaEN]
-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: DEP To Review Proposal To Expand No-Drill Zones Around Homes, Schools, Streams
-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: PA Will Study Plan To Keep New Natural Gas Drilling Pads Farther From Homes, Schools, Hospitals
[PaEN]
-- DEP Investigating Another 31,000 Gallon Spill Into Mine Voids From MarkWest Liberty Midstream Pipeline Construction In Washington County; 360,000 Gallons Lost So Far [PaEN]
-- Independent Fiscal Office: 2025 Act 13 Shale Gas Impact Fee Revenue Estimate $239.9 Million, Up $75.3 Million From Last Year [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Low Flow Water Conditions Trigger Water Withdrawal Restrictions On 40 Shale Gas Water Withdrawal Points; 17 Shale Gas Withdrawals Blocked By Ice Conditions [PaEN]
-- TribLive: Some Defendants In Plum Boro Fatal Natural Gas Explosion Case Ask Judge To Dismiss Negligence Claims
-- 265 MW Solar Energy Facility Approved By Rush Township In Centre County On Nearly 2,000 Acres Of Abandoned Mine Land [PaEN]
-- Centre Daily Times: 265 MW Black Moshannon Solar Energy Facility On Abandoned Mine Land Takes Next Step In Centre County
-- Altoona Mirror: 342 MW Solar Energy Facility Approved In City Of Altoona, Blair County [PDF of Article]
-- Williamsport Sun: Bat Expert Says Muncy Solar Array Could Confuse Bats Into Thinking Solid Panels Are Water [FYI: Bats Don’t Like Water]
-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: Philadelphia Signs Agreement To Buy Electricity From Clearfield County Solar Energy Facility To Stabilize Energy Costs
-- Tribune-Democrat: Superloads Of Windmill Blades For Highland North Wind Farm To Move Through Blair, Cambria Counties Tuesday, Wednesday
-- Foundation For Pennsylvania Watersheds Awards $265,000 In Grants To Support 16 Local Watershed Restoration, Conservation Projects [PaEN]
-- ARIPPA, Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Award Lackawanna River Conservation Association Mini-Grant; Next Round Opens Jan. 1 [PaEN]
-- Watershed Profile: Aultmans Run Watershed - From Orange Streams To Green Dreams, Healing An Abandoned Mine-Scarred Watershed In Indiana County [PaEN]
-- Stroud Water Research Center Fall Salt Snapshot Found Most Streams Still Exceeded Chloride Standards Months After Last Road Salt Was Applied [PaEN]
-- Spotlight PA: Rate Hike, Bankruptcy, Or Sale: PUC Judge To Decide What’s Next For Privately-Owned Rock Spring Water Company In Centre County
-- The Allegheny Front: Penn State Hershey Researchers Find Link Between Skin Cancer Rates In Areas Of Farming, Herbicide Use In PA
Visit the DEP Calendar of Events; PA Parks & Forests Foundation’s Events webpage and DCNR’s Calendar of Events for activities happening near you.
Visit DEP’s Teaching Green webpage to learn about more environmental education resources.
Visit the PA Environment Digest Calendar Of Events for more opportunities.
[Posted: December 14, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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