PA Environment Digest Blog: Thursday 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

January 26, 27, 28

February 2, 3 (Governor’s Budget Address), 4

Budget hearings will be held February 23-26, and March 2

March 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25

April 20, 21, 22

May 4, 5, 6

June 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30

-- Committee Schedule

House Voting Schedule

January 26, 27, 28

February 2, 3 (Governor's Budget Address, 4

Budget hearings will be held February 23-26, and March 2

March. 23, 24, 25

April 13, 14, 15, 27, 28, 29

May 4, 5, 6

June 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

September 28, 29, 30

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

November 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

Thru January 17-- 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show. Harrisburg.

January 17-- In-Person. Protect PT Hosts Living Near Shale Gas Facilities Community Workshop. Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills, 1240 Washington Road, Pittsburgh. 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.

January 20-- Agenda Posted. Joint House Energy & Consumer Protection Technology and Utilities Committees hearing on Energy Affordability. Room 60 East Wing. 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Click Here to watch online.

January 22-- Agenda Posted. DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board meeting. 10:00 a.m. Contact: Daniel E. Snowden (717) 783-8846 or RA-EPMININGADVISORY@pa.gov. (formal notice)

January 22-- In-Person. Solar United Neighbors, Protect PT Host Solar Energy In Southwest PA Community Meeting In Westmoreland County. Protect PT Community Environmental Education Center, 3344 Route 130 Suite B, Harrison City. 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

January 26-- NEW. House Energy Committee meets to consider House Bill 1834 (Matzie-D-Beaver) authorizing the Public Utility Commission to adopt regulations for data centers to protect ratepayers and the electric grid. Room 60 East Wing. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online. Read more here.

January 26-- NEW. House Energy Committee hearing on legislation sponsored by Rep. Kyle Donahue (D-Lackawanna) directing the Center for Local Government Services to draft a model ordinance and offer technical support to municipalities with regard to the siting of data centers [draft language] and legislation sponsored by Rep. Kyle Mullins (D-Lackawanna) requiring data centers in Pennsylvania to send information about their energy and water use to DEP and require DEP to aggregate the information and create an annual report on data center impacts [draft language]. Room 60 East Wing. 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Click Here to watch online. Read more here.

January 27-- House Energy Committee hearing on House Bill 2076 (Venkat-D- Allegheny) establishing a legal framework for the regulation of geothermal energy resources that are greater than 5,000 feet deep. Room B-31 Main Capitol. 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online. [Confirmed speakers Seith Pelepko, DEP Deputy Secretary for Oil and Gas Management, John Walliser, PA Environmental Council.] Read more here.

January 27-- Virtual. Protect PT, FracTracker Alliance Host Online Program Providing The Latest On Shale Gas Development And Information Tool. Noon.

February 2-- NEW. House Energy Committee hearing on legislation sponsored by Rep. Kyle Donahue (D-Lackawanna) to mandate the creation of Virtual Powerplant programs in Pennsylvania [draft language]. Room 60 East Wing. 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Click Here to watch online. Read more here.

February 19-- In-Person/Online. PA League Of Women Voters, Duquesne University Host Shale Gas & Public Health Conference. Pittsburgh. 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

February 26-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing: 1:00 - Department of Environmental Protection.

March 2-- House Appropriations Committee budget hearing: 1:00 - Departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural Resources. Click Here to watch live.

March 3-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing: 1:00 - Public Utility Commission.

March 5-- House Appropriations Committee budget hearing: 1:00 - Public Utility Commission. Click Here to watch live.

-- House Energy Committee To Consider Bill Giving PUC More Authority To Regulate A.I. Data Centers Jan. 26; Hearings On Related Bills Jan. 26 and Feb. 2 [PaEN]

-- City & State PA Guest Essay: Your Energy Bill Keeps Rising, Here’s What We Can Do About It - By Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D-Philadelphia), Majority Chair, House Energy Committee

-- Sand County Foundation Recognizes Jim Hershey Of Lancaster County With The Pennsylvania Leopold Farm Conservation Award [PaEN]

-- EPA: More Than 150 Attend Public Update On Palmerton Zinc Pile Superfund Site Drinking Water Issues In Carbon County [PaEN]

-- Reading Reagle: Boyertown School Board Eyes Treatment Of Water For PFAS Contamination At Gilbertsville Elementary School

-- Penn State, USC Partner On Center For CO2 Storage To Develop Practical Strategies For Underground Carbon Dioxide Storage [PaEN]

-- Republican Herald: DCNR Grant Support Tree Planting To Improve Water Quality In Schuylkill County Streams

-- Republican Herald: Schuylkill River Greenways Opens Grant Cycle For 2026 Restoration Fund [PDF of Article]

-- Courier Express: Council Reviews DuBois Beautification Committee Report, Considers Group’s Future Role

-- PA Dept. Of Health Invites Students To Enter Art Competition To Raise Awareness About Ticks, Lyme Disease, Deadline For Entries March 31

-- WTAJ: PA Students Encouraged To Enter 2026 Art Contest To Raise Awareness Of Ticks, Lyme Disease

-- TribLive: Western PA Conservancy Protects 2,400 Acres On Chestnut Ridge, Westmoreland County

-- The Arboretum At Penn State Invites Pennsylvania-Based Artists To Submit Proposals For A New Penn’s Woods Outdoor Art Exhibition At The Arboretum [PaEN]

-- WHYY: PA Horticultural Society Teases The Roots Of the Upcoming Philadelphia Flower Show Opening Feb. 28

-- WHYY: How Philly’s Avenue Of The Arts Will Be Transformed Into A Green Space

-- DCNR Grants News: Community Conservation Partnership Grant Round Open; Heritage Area Strategic Plan; Community Tree Assistance Program

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Skate Park Gains Popularity But Draws Pushback Over Noise, Legal Status

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Spotlight PA: Many PA Residents Don’t Want A.I. Data Centers In Their Communities; PA State Leaders Are Welcoming Them

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Dallas Twp. , Luzerne County Residents Fill Public Hearing Space In Support Of A.I. Data Center Zoning Ordinance Limiting Centers To Industrial Zones

-- The Citizens’ Voice: New Luzerne County A.I Data Center Economic Development Division Would Help Deal With Growing Demand To Build Centers [PDF of Article]

-- TribLive: TECfusions Announces First Tenant In Upper Burrell Twp. A.I. Data Center In Allegheny County; 10 MW Needed, Scaling Up To 1 GW

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: EOS Energy Storage Company Calls A.I. Data Centers An ‘Accelerant’ For Company’s Batteries

-- WNEP: Luzerne County Community College, Amazon Host A.I. Data Center Jobs Information Session

-- Post-Gazette: Sen. McCormick Says He Will Recuse Himself From Issues Specific To Facebook/Meta With His Wife’s New Role As Meta President

-- Talen Energy Buys 3 Natural Gas Power Plants In Ohio, Indiana To Service Growing Data Center Demand

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- DEP: MarkWest Liberty Midstream Reports 5 More Drilling Fluid Losses Into Mine Voids In Washington County; Total Losses Now 1,241,500 Gallons [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun: DEP Issues Violations To Eureka Resources In Wake Of Waste Spillage [PDF of Article]

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Well Done Foundation, Inc., a company specializing in well plugging, failed to plug an abandoned conventional well in Wilmington Twp, Lawrence County it adopted in 2023 after submitting and withdrawing 3 notices of intent to plug. DEP inspection report.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Baron Crest Energy Co. failed to comply with a 2024 DEP order to plug a conventional well in Pinegrove Township, Venango County for 593 days and counting. Equipment on site, not active. DEP inspection report.

Federal Administration

-- PA Capital-Star: Federal Mine Safety Research Employees In PA Returned To Work

-- TribLive: President’s Administration Brings Back 900 Federal Workers At National Institute For Occupational Safety And Health Out Of Work For 9 Months [Including Mine Safety Workers]

-- E&ENews/Politico: Pipeline Safety Enforcement Cut In Half In President’s First Year

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- E&E News/Politico: Energy Set To Dominate State Politics In Runup To Midterm Elections [PA Highlighted] [PDF of Article]

-- Centre Daily Times: Republican Sen. Cris Dush To Run For Lt. Governor

-- PennLive - John Baer: Can A Little Pushback Really Push the President Back?

-- Courier Times: New Bucks County Sheriff Axes ICE Agreement

-- Post-Gazette: Sen. McCormick Says He Will Recuse Himself From Issues Specific To Facebook/Meta With His Wife’s New Role As Meta President

-- TribLive Guest Essay: A.I. Needs National Guardrails [Not State Regulation] - By PA Chamber of Business & Industry

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: President Won’t Create Safeguards For A.I. So PA Legislators Must - By Rep. Melissa Shusterman