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 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 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 10:00: 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.

March 25-- Agenda Posted. DCNR Conservation and Natural Resources Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 10:00 a.m. Register to join the meeting online. Contact: Nicole Faraguna 717-346-7636 or cnrac-admin@growconservation.com. Read more here on agenda.

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.

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

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: Why Controlling Methane Emissions From Oil & Gas Facilities In PA Matters To Energy Consumers - By John Walliser, PA Environmental Council

-- TribLive: Solar Energy Project At Carlynton High School Will Power Most Of Building, Reducing Costs In Allegheny County

-- Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation: April 11 Illegal Dumping Forum - Let's Talk Trash And Tires Luzerne County Community College [PaEN]

-- Republican Herald: State Police Investigate Illegal Dumping Incidents In Schuylkill County

-- Williamsport Sun: DEP Investigate Oily Sheen That Appeared To Come From A Storm Drain Into The West Branch Susquehanna River In Clearfield

-- Lewistown Sentinel: ClearWater Conservancy Seeks Volunteers For April 18 Watershed Cleanup In Centre County

-- TribLive: Murrysville Council Focuses On Specifics Of Stormwater Fee Credit Program

-- PA Capital-Star/The Conversation: Pittsburgh’s Air Pollution May Claim 3,000+ Lives Per Year And EPA Rollbacks Aren’t Helping

-- Scranton Times: Keystone Landfill To Pay Throop Boro $200,000 Annually To Pipe Treated Leachate To Wastewater Plant

-- Western PA Conservancy Accepting Applications Year-Round For Free Riparian Tree Planting Initiative [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Hosts May 5 Frontiers In Forest Health Webinar On Hemlock Conservation [PaEN]

-- Erie Times: Lake Erie Station Joins Fish Waste Initiative Aiming For 100% Recycling

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Inquirer: A.I. Data Centers Are Eyeing Counties Around Philadelphia Drawing Pushback From Residents Across The Region

-- Scranton Times: Archbald, Jessup Boros Postponed A.I. Data Center Hearings

-- The Daily Item: Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance To Host April 2 A.I. Data Center Discussion In Lewisburg

-- The Center Square: House Moving Bill To Require A.I. Data Centers To Warn State Regulators About Water Needs

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Mystery Site For 4.3 GW Natural Gas Power Plant Site In SW PA Has Officials Wondering; Transmission Line Project May Hint At Site

-- TribLive/AP: TotalEnergies Accepts $1 Billion In US Taxpayer Funding To Walk Away From 4 GW Of Much-Needed Wind Energy Generation In US To Invest In US Oil And Gas Production

-- Utility Dive: Better Grid Utilization Could Save Customers $170 Billion: Brattle Report

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- Today’s Violations: On March 18, 2026 DEP cited Range Resources Appalachia LLC for unlawful conduct and multiple violations for over-withdrawing water for fracking from Source #79 on 3 days in November 2025. Violation not posted.

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- March 24: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Still Going Up-- 84 Cents/Gallon To $3.95 Since Feb. 27

-- March 24: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.97 Ohio- $3.82 PA- $3.95

-- Feb. 27: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $2.98 Ohio- $2.79 PA- $3.11

-- WNEP: Diesel Prices Spike To Nearly $6 In PA; Truckers Cut Loads, Businesses Struggle To Stay Profitable [As A Result Of President’s War On Iran]

-- WNEP: Massive Explosion Report At Valero Oil Refinery In Texas

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: 5-Year Waits And Rising Costs For Natural Gas Generation Turbines Redefining The Energy Market - By Electric Power Research Institute [Utility Industry Group]

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Spotlight PA: Why PA Pharmacies Keep Closing And How Lawmakers Want To Slow The Trend, Explained In 7 Stats

-- WHYY: Philadelphia ‘No Kings’ Protest 2026

-- Post-Gazette - Adriana E. Ramirez: The Congressional Republican SAVE Act Supported By The President Is Based On Proven Lies