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 25, 26 (non-voting), 27 (non-voting), 28 (non-voting), 29, 30

September 28, 29, 30

October 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21

November 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule

June 25, 26, 29, 30

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

Anything Can Happen: June State Budget Marathon Happening NOW!

TODAY 9:00: In-Person. ReImagine Appalachia, Ohio River Valley Institute, Partners Host Workshop On Applying For DEP’s RISE PA Industrial Decarbonization Funding. Pittsburgh. 9:00 a.m. to Noon

TODAY Noon: Virtual. PA Organization For Watersheds & Rivers Online Conversation Cafe - Flood Risk Communication. Noon.

TODAY 1:00: In-Person. Penn State Extension Workshop On Understanding PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Private Water Supplies. Saegertown, Crawford County. 1:00 p.m.

TODAY 1:00: In-Person. Penn State Extension Workshop On Understanding PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Private Water Supplies. Carlisle, Cumberland County. 1:00 p.m.

TODAY 6:00: 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 Burgettstown from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

June 26-27-- In-Person. PA Firefly Festival Exhibits & Entertainment In Downtown Tionesta, Forest County

June 30-- In-Person. PUC Announces 2 Hearings On Proposed PPL Utilities Transmission Line Projects In Hazle Twp., Luzerne County Serving Project Hazelnut A.I. Data Centers. 1:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m.

June 30-- In-Person. Penn State Extension Workshop On Understanding PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Private Water Supplies. Punxsutawney, Jefferson County. 1:00 p.m.

July 8-- Agenda Posted. DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 9:30 a.m.

July 10-- Telephonic. Public Utility Commission Hearing On PPL Condemnation Of 30 Properties For The Sugarloaf 500/230KV Transmission Line In Luzerne County To Serve Data Centers 10:00 a.m.

-- PA House Passes Bill Giving Individual Municipalities Authority To Pause Consideration Of A.I. Data Center Proposals For 6 Months [PaEN]

-- PA House Passes Bill Limiting State Data Center Tax Credit To Those Developers Following Gov. Shapiro's Responsible Infrastructure Development Standards [PaEN]

-- PA House Unanimously Passes Bill To Eliminate 6% Gross Receipts Tax On Electric Bills, Fix Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater Utility Ratemaking Process To Limit Shareholder Profits [PaEN]

-- Lt. Gov. Davis Brings Together Utility Industry Experts To Highlight Solutions To Rising Energy Costs

-- Inquirer: Constellation Energy Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant Engineer Manager Indicted On Federal Insider Trading Charges Of Illegally Profiting On Stock Options Related To The Plant Reopening

-- Reminder: DEP Holds Hearing TODAY On Proposed Energy Transfer Partners Revolution Cryogenic Natural Gas Processing Plant Air Quality Permit Hearing In Smith Twp., Washington County

-- EPA Announces $1 Million In Brownfields Grants To Revitalize Communities In Pennsylvania [PaEN]

-- PA Recycling Markets Center Hosts July 16 Recycled Paper & Plastics Commodities Markets Update Webinar [PaEN]

-- Western PA Conservancy Awards 16 BHE GT&S Mini-Grants To Improve Local Watersheds [PaEN]

-- Outdoor Business Alliance Of PA Hosts July 7 Webinar On Accessing Funding For Your Outdoor Business [PaEN]

-- WVIA: Luzerne County Native Hits Halfway Point In Trek From Georgia To Maine On Appalachian Trail

-- Observer-Reporter: North Strabane Twp. To Assess Land For Recreation Complex In Washington County

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Field Notes - Thankful For Pennsylvania Parks

-- Susquehanna Greenway Partnership Names Alana Jajko Executive Director [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Sept. 4 Webinar On Beech Leaf Disease Nematodes, 1:00 to 2:15 p.m.

A.I. /Data Centers

-- WPSU: Brookville Boro Passes 180-Day Moratorium On A.I. Data Center Development In Jefferson County

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster City Council Holds Off On Approving New A.I. Data Center Rules Over How They Would Apply To 2 Projects Already Planned In The City

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Halt: Capitol Crowd Rallies For A.I. Data Center Moratorium

-- TribLive/PennLive: PA House Approves Bills Allowing Local Data Center Moratoriums, Restricting State Tax Benefits As Backlash Grows

-- Reading Eagle: 2 A.I. Data Center Bills Pass PA House By Large Margins

-- Tribune-Democrat: PA House Passes Bills To Enact GRID Standards As Condition Of Getting State Tax Credit, Let Municipalities Pause Data Center Developments For 6 Months

-- The Center Square: PA House Okays Bill To Let Municipalities Call A 6-Month A.I. Data Center Pause

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Environmental Groups Push PA Lawmakers To Pass HB 1834 To Protect Ratepayers, Regulate A.I. Data Centers

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: How A.I. Data Centers Lost The PR War And What It Means For Business

-- Utility Dive: Grid Operators Making Significant Progress In Generation Queues, But No Evidence Requests Are Being Processed More Quickly; Fast-Track Policies Promote Fossil-Fuel Heavy Generation

-- Utility Dive: US DOE Offers $17.5 Billion In Loans For 10 Westinghouse Nuclear Power Reactors; Westinghouse Has Signed Letters Of Intent With 7 Partners, Each With Identified Project Sites

-- Wall Street Journal: A.I. Data Center Boom Sparking Third Wave Of Inflation - Cost Of Computer Chips - Following Energy, Labor & Constructions Costs

-- AP: A.I. Is An Energy And Water Hog, Here’s What You Can Do To Counter That

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- DEP: Day 609 - Sample Results Confirm Continued Wastewater Releases At Seneca Resources Taft Shale Gas Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County [PaEN]

-- Today’s Violation: Diversified Prod LLC notified DEP of release at State Game Lands conventional well in Centre County, Burnside Twp. allegedly caused by a porcupine chewing a hole in a plastic contaminated groundwater tank. Violations issued. DEP inspection report.

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- June 25: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Down 2 Pennies From Yesterday, Now $4.05/Gallon - $.94/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Beaver County Average Price Still Highest at $4.56]

-- June 25: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.91 Ohio- $3.94 PA- $4.05

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

-- Inquirer: President’s War On Iran Has Cost US Households $1,000 And Counting

Federal Administration

-- EPA Proposes NEPA Environmental Impact Statement Reforms, Proposes To Limit Routine Statements To 150 Pages

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Spotlight PA: Why PA Lawmakers May Need To Tap Rainy Day Reserves To Balance State Budget

-- Erie Times/USA Today: PA Lawmakers Want To Keep Feds Out Of Polling Places In November

-- PA Capital-Star: US Postmaster General: States That Won’t Obey President’s Order To Turn Over Voter Lists Will Have Their Mail Ballots Halted