PA Environment Digest Blog: Tuesday 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 6, 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 6 (NV), 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

TODAY 5:00: DEP Public Meeting On Project Gravity A.I. Data Center Proposal Water Quality Permits In Archbald Boro, Lackawanna County. Valley View High School, 1 Columbus Drive Archbald, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

TODAY 4:00: Southwest PA Environmental Literacy Coalition Online Meeting. 4:00 p.m.

January 10-17-- 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show. Harrisburg.

January 13-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. 12:30 p.m. Contact: Ian Irvin iirvin@pa.gov or 717-579-0329.

January 13-- 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 13-- Penn State Extension Webinar - Spotted Lanternfly Research Updates & Panel Discussion. Noon to 1:30 p.m.

January 14-- Agenda Posted. DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. 9:30 a.m. Contact: Bob Haines robhaines@pa.gov or 717-787-7565. [Agenda: Biosolids Program Update, Draft Fee Reports]

January 14-- DEP Coastal Zone Advisory Committee meeting. 9:30 a.m. Contact: Stacey Box 717-772-5622 or sbox@pa.gov.

January 14-- DEP Technical Advisory Committee on Diesel-Powered [Coal Mining] Equipment meeting. DEP New Stanton Office. 10:00 a.m. Contact: Peggy Scheloske mscheloske@pa.gov or 724-404-3143.

January 14-- Lower Susquehanna RiverKeeper Hosts Data Centers in the Susquehanna River Basin – Let's Talk Water Usage With SRBC. Wrightsville, York County. 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

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.

January 20-- NEW. 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 27-- NEW. 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.]

-- Appalachian Voices: Coal Community Groups Urge Congress To Reject $500 Million Raid On Abandoned Mine Cleanup Funds; PA Would Lose Over $169 Million [PaEN]

-- DEP Improves Protections For Communities By Increasing Public Engagement Through New Environmental Justice Policy, Updated PennEnviroScreen EJ Tool [PaEN]

-- The Center Square: Updated DEP Environmental Justice Policy At Odds With President’s Agenda

-- PUC Report Makes Recommendations Coming Out Of April/May Storms In The Greater Pittsburgh, State College Areas Causing 679,000 Electric Customers To Lose Power [PaEN]

-- Spotlight PA: As PA Energy Prices Rise, Advocates Skeptical That Lawmakers Will Put Aside Partisan Differences

-- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy Podcast: Why A New Natural Gas Power Boom Is Putting Methane Emissions Back In The Spotlight - By Mark Brownstein, EDF, Andy Stone, Kleinman Center

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Karl Blankenship: Groups Say FERC Erred In Preliminary Approval Of Cuffs Run Susquehanna River Pump-Storage Hydroelectric Project In York County

-- Altoona Mirror: PennDOT Advises Caution As Highland North Wind Farm Windmill Blade Superloads Move Through Blair, Cambria Counties

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Duquesne Light, FirstEnergy Face PUC Scrutiny In Wake Of April Power Outages

-- Pit & Quarry: MSHA: US Mining Industry Finishes 2025 With 33 Fatalities; 2 In Pennsylvania

-- PUC PA OneCall Damage Prevention Committee Imposes $232,250 In Penalties On 162 Companies For Violations

-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: How Nature Is Fostering Kids’ Creativity In Philadelphia