PA Environment Digest Blog: Wednesday 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 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

Budget Hearings: Thru March 12

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 9:30: Agenda Posted. DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. 9:30 a.m. Contact: Bob Haines robhaines@pa.gov or 717-787-7565. [Agenda includes Chapter 102 which recommends fee increase]

March 12-- Agenda Posted. Susquehanna River Basin Commission meeting. 4423 North Front Street, Harrisburg. 9:00 a.m. (formal notice)

March 16-- House Energy Committee hearing on House Bill 2223 (Fiedler-D- Philadelphia) advanced transmission technologies, House Bill 2225 (Davidson) virtual power plants [Draft Bill]. Room G-50 Irvis Building. Noon to 2:30 p.m. Click Here to watch online.

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 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.

-- WNEP: Montour County’s 129-Year-Old Hess Loop Trail Recognized As The Nation’s Oldest Rail-To-Trail

-- DEP Tells Environmental Quality Board It Is Looking To Make A Recommendation On Petition To Increase Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells By The End Of 2026 [PaEN]

-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council Invites Comments On DEP's Act 54 Report Documenting Adverse Impacts Of Longwall And Underground Coal Mining On Structures, Surface And Ground Water; Report Says 20% Of Undermined Streams Damaged [PaEN]

-- PUC & Partners Offer ‘Be Utility Wise’ Human Services Professional Development Conference, Consumer Assistance & Resources In Philadelphia

-- Penn State's Prepare PA Hosts 4 Regional Meetings Of The PA Climate Network In March, April [PaEN]

-- Observer-Reporter: Dunkard Twp. OKs 3.7 MW Solar Energy Facility Application In Greene County

-- Observer-Reporter: Cecil Township Clarifies Upcoming Solar Energy Ordinance In Washington County

-- TribLive: Arnold Palmer Regional Airport Tables Solar Energy Project, Will Review Scaled Back $4 Million Proposal In Westmoreland County

-- Reading Eagle: Electric Vehicle Charging Station Planned Along Route 222 In Northern Berks County

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: Manufacturers Back Proposal To Redevelop Erie Coke Site As Naval Shipyard - By Manufacturer & Business Association

-- York Daily Record: Timeline Shows Environmental Disaster Unleashed By J&K Junkyard Fire In York County

-- Morning Call/Spotlight PA: Berks County Warehouse Purchased By President’s ICE For Immigrant Detention Center Has Years Of Unresolved Construction Problems, Records Show

-- Lancaster Farming: Penn State Study - Biochar Boosts Soil Water Retention

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Sinkhole Discovered At Luzerne County Rail Line In Ashley Not Abandoned Mine Related

-- Erie Times: DCNR Issues Burn Ban For State Forests Until May 25

-- Cameron County Chamber Of Commerce: Sinnemahone Paddle Race Set For April 11 [PaEN]

-- Republican Herald: Pottsville Trail Improvement Project Receives $100,000 DCNR Grant

-- Warren Times: Allegheny National Forest North Country Trail Assn. Chapter Host A-100 Hiking Challenge June 12-14

-- PennLive: Spring Is In The Air And Snakes Are Out, PA Has 3 Venomous Species To Be Aware Of

A.I. /Data Centers

-- WNEP: Hearing On Proposed ‘Wildcat’ 14 Building A.I. Data Center In Archbald Gets Heated As Hundreds Express Environmental, Economic Concerns In Lackawanna County

-- Inquirer: Proposal To Make A.I. Data Center 60% Bigger To Be Considered By East Whiteland Twp. Supervisors In Chester County After Fiery Planning Commission Meeting

-- Penn State Extension Hosts March 31 Webinar - A.I. Data Centers In Pennsylvania Part 2 - Why Here? Why Now? [PaEN]

-- WHYY: Electricity Rates Rising Along With Profits For Investor-Owned Utilities; How PECO’s Profits Impact Your Electricity Bill

-- LancasterOnline: Why Does CoreWeave A.I. Data Center Developer Like Lancaster City? Co-Founder Shares At EDC Meeting

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader Guest Essay: Building The Workforce Our Region Deserves In The A.I. Data Center Era - By Kelly O’Brien, Berwick Industrial Development Association

-- AP: Virginia Has An A.I. Data Center Boon, State Officials Debate Whether It’s Time To Scrap Its Tax Breaks

Gas Explosions

-- Warren Times Editorial: Proper Response To Warren High School Natural Gas Leak That Sent Students To Hospital

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- March 11: Average AAA Gasoline Price In PA $3.66 Up 55 Cents/Gallon Since Feb. 27 [It’s $3.79 At The Usually Cheap Sheetz In Harrisburg]

-- Bloomberg: EU Weighs Natural Gas Price Cap To Lower Power Costs Amid President’s War On Iran

-- Bloomberg: US Natural Gas Prices Following Global Prices Up And Down During President’s War With Iran

-- Reuters: Oil Prices Rise To Over $91 As Supply Fears Persist Despite IEA Plan For Record Reserve Release

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Spotlight PA: Will Independents Ever Get To Vote In PA Primaries? Advocates Hope A Lawsuit Moves The Needle

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Open Seats, Challenges To Incumbents In State, Federal Races Spice Up Central PA Primary Ballots