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

March 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

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 8:30: DEP, Delaware River Basin Commission Offering 3-Part In-Person Water Loss Management Workshops For Water System Operators. Bucks County Community College. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

March 18-- CANCELED. Rescheduled for April 30. DEP Oil & Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. 10:00 a.m. Contact: Todd M. Wallace twallace@pa.gov. (formal notice)

March 18-- In-Person. Penn State Extension Saplings Saving Streams Workshop - York County. Alecraft Brewery, New Freedom. 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

March 18-- In-Person. Penn State Extension Holds Workshop In Northampton County On How To Design, Install, Maintain Micro-Forests.

March 19-- Agenda Posted. DEP Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting. 10:00 a.m. Contact: Laura Henry lahenry@pa.gov. [Coproduct Regulation Update - Oil & Gas Wastewater]

March 19-- PUC Hosts PA Sustainable Energy Board meeting. Hearing Room 1 of the Commonwealth Keystone Building, Harrisburg. 11:00 a.m.

March 19-- In-Person. DEP Public Meeting On Shell Petrochemical Plant Air Quality Plan Approval Application. Penn State Beaver Auditorium, 100 University Drive in Monaca, Beaver County. 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. [Hearing April 7] Read more here.

March 19-- In-Person. Protect PT To Hold Workshops In Monessen, Westmoreland County On How To Protect Your Community From Environmental Threats Caused By Shale Gas Development. Monessen High School, 1245 State Rd, Monessen from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

March 23-- NEW. House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee meets to consider House Bill 289 (Briggs-D-Montgomery) establishing requirements for radon testing and mitigation in schools; House Bill 2161 (Salisbury-D-Allegheny) Requiring public utilities to replace trees on public property if requested by a municipality; House Bill 2229 (Mako-R- Lehigh) Provides for spill notification requirements by DEP to municipalities; House Bill 2246 (Webster-R-Montgomery) Provides for water withdrawal oversight for data centers. Room 515 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

March 23-- House Energy Committee informational meeting on the PA Energy Development Authority. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

March 24-- House Energy Committee hearing on House Bill 2076 (Venkat-D-Allegheny) establishing a regulatory framework for geothermal energy for residential, commercial and industrial uses. Room B-31 Main Capital. 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

April 16-- DCED PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council meeting. Penn State, State College. 10:00. Contact: Adam Walters 717-214-6548 or adwalters@pa.gov.

-- PA House Committee Hears How Virtual Power Plants, Advanced Transmission Line Technologies Allow Us To Quickly Get More Out Of Our Energy Infrastructure In Less Time, Without Huge Investments Or Delays [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Lawmakers Seek To Get More Out Of PA’s Existing Energy Infrastructure

-- DEP Invests $10 Million To Support 6 Projects To Improve Electric Grid Reliability And Resiliency In 9 Counties [PaEN]

-- PUC Schedules 10 Hearings On Proposed UGI Utilities 8.05% Natural Gas Distribution Rate Increase Starting March 30 [PaEN]

-- PUC Sets Hearings On Proposed National Fuel Gas 7.4% Natural Gas Distribution Rate Increase Starting March 31 [PaEN]

-- Inquirer: How Deregulation Made Electricity More Expensive, Not Cheaper

-- Earth Day 2026: PA Resources Council Invites Participation In Gene Capaldi Lens On Litter Photo Contest To Put The Spotlight On The Litter Problem [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Faces Longer Allergy Seasons, Study Finds

-- DCNR: Since 2023, US Bureau Of Economic Analysis Data Shows PA Outdoor Recreation Economy Grew By 21%, Added 12,000 Jobs [PaEN]

-- Western PA Conservancy Awards $25,000 To Support 5 Western PA Canoe, Kayak Access Projects: Now Accepting Applications For Next Round Of Grants [PaEN]

A.I. /Data Centers