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]

House Voting Schedule

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

Senate Voting Schedule

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

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

TODAY 10:00: Virtual. DEP, Game Commission Host Peregrine Falcon Banding Event At Rachel Carson Building In Harrisburg. 10:00 a.m.

TODAY 10:00: Virtual. DEP Go Green And Save On Energy Bills With Solar Power For Your Home. Noon

June 1-- NEW. House Energy Committee holds hearing on House Bill 2380 (Rivera-D- Lancaster) to require electric utilities to set targets and procure grid-stabilizing battery storage as part of their resource planning to help reduce peak demand and lower system costs, while maintaining reliability and affordability for consumers. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live.

June 2-- In-Person. DEP To Host Informal Conference, Hearing On Permit To Add 4,342 Acres To Rosebud Clymer A Coal Mine In Cherryhill Twp., Indiana County

June 3-- Agenda Posted. DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. 10:00 a.m. Contact: Randy D. Martin ramartin@pa.gov. (formal notice)

June 4-- Agenda Posted. Susquehanna River Basin Commission business meeting. 4423 N. Front Street, Harrisburg. 9:00 a.m. (formal notice)

June 4-5-- In-Person. Penn State Extension: Mid-Atlantic Agroforestry Conference. Pennsylvania Furnace, Huntingdon County.

June 9-- Agenda Posted. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00 a.m. Contact: Laura Griffin, Regulatory Coordinator, laurgriffi@pa.gov, (717) 772-3277.

June 11-- Virtual. Team PA Webinar On Pennsylvania Nuclear Energy Roadmap. 11:30 a.m. Click Here for more on Nuclear Roadmap

June 23-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. 12:30 p.m. Contact: Ian Irvin iirvin@pa.gov or 717-579-0329.

June 25-- NEW. DEP Hearing On Air Permit For ETC Northeast Pipeline Cryo II Project At The Revolution Cryogenic Natural Gas Processing Plant In Smith Twp., Washington County. Burgettstown Area Middle/High School Campus, LGI Room, 100 Bavington Road in Burgettstowns from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

-- Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Celebrates Young Ambassadors Of Pennsylvania Class Of 2026 Graduates; Apply Now For Next Class [PaEN]

-- DCNR/DEP: Shapiro Administration, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Mark Progress In Cleaning Up PA’s Part Of Chesapeake Bay Watershed; How Pennsylvanians Can Support Tree Planting [PaEN]

-- PA Outdoor Writers Association Celebrates 75th Anniversary, Award Recipients Honored For Excellence In Craft [PaEN]

-- PA Wilds Center Announces 2026 PA Wilds Champion Award Winners, July 30 Celebration

-- ABC27: Rep. Vitali Reflects On Career After Losing Reelection

-- York Daily Record: Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Plant To Test 97 Emergency Sirens June 3-4

-- Partnership For The Delaware Estuary 2025 Annual Report: Connecting People, Science And Nature For A Healthy Delaware River And Bay

-- Spotlight PA: Federal ICE Warehouse Developer Agrees To Pay $82,000 To Resolve Deficiencies At Upper Bern Twp., Berks County Site Before ICE Bought The Property

-- DEP, Game Commission To Host May 28 Online Peregrine Falcon Banding At Rachel Carson Building In Harrisburg; Connection To Rachel Carson [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Severe Weather Is Increasingly Causing Widespread Power Outages In Pittsburgh, This Organization Wants To Find Solutions

-- Morning Call: As Dirt Bike Complaints Increase, Lehigh Valley Lawmakers Want To Strengthen Penalties For Illegal Riding

-- WNEP: New Black Diamond Trail Coming To Luzerne County, Anthracite Scenic Trails Assn.

-- Susquehanna Greenway Partnership: Free Outdoor Education Activity Books Available For Schools & Youth Programs

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Morning Call: Upper Macungie A.I. Data Center Proposal Rejected; Air Products’ Zoning Application Denied Before Packed Crowd

-- KYW: Upper Merion Twp. Residents Pack Meeting Expressing ‘Fierce’ Opposition To A.I. Data Center Development Plan In Montgomery County

-- Republican Herald: Schuylkill County Commissioners Table Responsible A.I. Data Center Development Plan Amid Continuing Debate

-- Morning Call: PPL, Met-Ed Electric Bills Set To Increase In Lehigh Valley June 1

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Pittsburgh-Area Electric Rates To Rise June 1, As Utilities Expect High Summer Demand

-- Gov. Shapiro Releases Full Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development Standards (GRID) For A.I. Data Centers; New Local Government Data Center Planning Toolkit [PaEN]

-- Scranton Times: Shapiro Unveils Standards Data Center Developers Must Meet To Receive State Support [If Legislation Passes] ; Meets With Archbald Residents [PDF of Article]

-- WVIA: Shapiro Meets Archbald Residents In Lackawanna County, Says New A.I. Data Center Standards Will Empower Communities

-- WHYY - Zoe Read: Gov. Shapiro Announces Plan To Attract ‘Responsible’ A.I. Data Center Development; Plan Requires Data Centers Seeking Tax Incentives To Mitigate Their Impacts [If Legislation Passes]

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro GRID Proposal Ties Tax Breaks To Sustainability, Transparency For A.I. Data Center Developers [If Legislation Passes]

-- Tribune-Democrat: Shapiro Seeks Buy-In, Legal Change In GRID A.I. Data Center Standards [Requires Legislation To Work]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shapiro Unveils Data Center Standards Amid Billions In Projects Planned Across Pennsylvania [If Legislation Passes]

-- Inside Climate News - Kyle Bagenstose: Pennsylvania’s Governor Has A Plan To Make A.I. Data Centers Bring Their Own Energy, Now Comes The Hard Part Of Actually Doing It That Will Require Help From Legislators

-- City & State PA: Gov. Shapiro’s New A.I. Data Center Standards Reflect What Has Become An Energy And Environmental Flashpoint In PA

-- The Center Square: Shapiro, 2 Republican Lawmakers Pitch Separate Ideas On A.I. Data Centers

-- Republican Senate, House Members Introduce Bills To Repeal A.I. Data Center Tax Break, Give Municipalities Authority To Enact An 18-Month Moratorium; Bills Not Likely To Move In The Senate, Republicans Opposed Data Center Bills In House [PaEN]

-- Utility Dive: Data Center Firm DigitalBridge Buys ArcLight Power [To Lock Up More Power Plants In PA: 1.3 GW Jessup Gas Power Plant, part of 1.7 GW Keystone, 1.7 GW Conemaugh Coal Generating Stations]

-- Bloomberg: NextEra Is Betting Its Dominion Energy Deal Can Speed US Infrastructure For A.I. Data Centers

-- WHYY: New Jersey Governor Wants Legislation To Require A.I. Data Centers To Pay For Their Own Electricity, Give Financial Assistance To Communities

-- Bloomberg: European Power Prices Turn Negative Due To Renewable Generation As Heat Wave Breaks Records [Natural Gas Can’t Do That]

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- DEP Issues 8 More Violations To Delta Inland Oil Res LLC For Abandoning, Not Plugging Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In Warren County [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Rice Drilling [EQT] Violations For Abandoning, Not Plugging 2 Shale Gas Wells Left Partially Drilled For 11 Years In Greene County [PaEN]

-- Revolution, Harmon Creek Cryogenic Natural Gas Processing Plants’ ‘Emergency’ Upset Chemical/Natural Gas Flares Burning All Night Again May 28 In Smith Twp., Washington County. BreatheProject Cams. Comment On Revolution Plant DEP Expansion Permit.

Gas Explosions

-- WGAL: Nearly 50 Homes Evacuated After Contractor Hits Natural Gas Line In East Donegal Twp.

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- May 28: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Down Another 2 Pennies Since Yesterday, Now $1.44/Gallon Higher To $4.55 Since Feb. 27 [Venango County Average Price Still Highest at $4.85]

-- May 28: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.42 Ohio- $4.51 PA- $4.55

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

-- Bloomberg: European Power Prices Turn Negative Due To Renewable Generation As Heat Wave Breaks Records [Natural Gas Can’t Do That]

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- ABC27: Independent Fiscal Office Says Shapiro’s $53 Billion Budget Proposal Would Spend $4.7 Billion More Than The State Will Take In Next Year

-- TribLive Editorial: State Lawmakers Should Present Case For Why They Should Continue To Receive Gifts From Companies Seeking Favors

-- Spotlight PA: Federal ICE Warehouse Developer Agrees To Pay $82,000 To Resolve Deficiencies At Upper Bern Twp., Berks County Site Before ICE Bought The Property