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]

House Voting Schedule

September 28, 29, 30

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

November 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule

September 28, 29, 30

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

November 17, 18

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

TODAY 10:00: Virtual. Penn State Extension Backyard Stream Repair Webinars (1 of 5) - Evaluating Your Stream. 10:00 to 11:30 p.m.

TODAY Noon: Virtual. Penn State Extension Webinar - Introduction To Biochar, Noon to 1:00 p.m.

TODAY 6:00: Virtual. Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community Webinar: Shell Petrochemical Plant Penalty Agreement. 6:00 p.m.

September 23-- Agenda Posted. DCNR Conservation and Natural Resources Council meeting. Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg. 10:00 a.m. to Noon. Read more here on agenda. (formal notice)

September 23-- Virtual. Penn State Extension To Hold Webinar On A Statewide Road Salt Initiative To Promote Smarter Winter Maintenance, Pollution Reduction. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

September 23-- Virtual. Penn State Extension Hosts 5-Part Woodland Stewardship - Guided Engagement With Your Land Webinar Series

September 23-- In-Person. Penn State Extension Safe Drinking Water Well Clinic. Coudersport, Potter County. 1:00 p.m.

September 24-- Virtual. DEP, PHFA Webinar On New Homeowner Energy Efficiency Loan Program To Reduce Your Energy Costs. Noon.

September 24-- Virtual. Penn State Extension Backyard Stream Repair Webinars (2 of 5) - Determining Your Options. 10:00 to 11:30 p.m.

September 25-- Agenda Posted. DEP Low-Level Radioactive Waste Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson. 10:00 a.m. (formal notice)

September 26-- In-Person. Heroes' Walk At Flight 93 National Memorial In Somerset County

September 29-- Virtual. Penn State Extension Backyard Stream Repair Webinars (3 of 5) - Choosing Your Plants For Your Stream. 10:00 to 11:30 p.m.

September 29 to Oct. 2-- In-Person. Swarthmore Fungi Fest.

September 30-- Agenda Added. House Energy Committee meets to consider House Bill 2755 (Pielli-D-Chester) requiring investor-owned utilities to join PJM to eliminate a “windfall” payment utilities receive at ratepayer expense; House Bill 2775 (Donahue-D-Lackawnanna) to reduce development of speculative data center proposals, the legislation requires data center applicants seeking local zoning or land-use approval to demonstrate that they have submitted an interconnection application with the applicable electric utility provider and paid all mandatory fees and costs associated with the application; House Resolution 564 (Freeman-D-Lehigh) directs the Joint State Government commission to investigate how heat from data centers can be captured and repurposed to improve energy efficiency, lower operating costs and reduces waste head emissions. Room 205 Ryan Building. 9:30 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

September 30-- Agenda Posted. DEP Sewage Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson. 9:00 a.m.

September 30-- In-Person. Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community meeting on Sherwin Williams Facility. Rochester Riverfront Park, Rochester. 6:00 p.m.

October 5-- NEW. House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee holds a hearing on road spreading oil and gas wastewater and DEP’s new “mineral brine” conventional well permit. Room 205 Ryan Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online. Read background here.

October 14-- In-Person. DEP Public Meeting/Hearing On Major Amendment To Water Quality Permit For Homer City Data Center/Power Plant Complex In Indiana County. Homer Center High School Auditorium, 70 Wildcat Lane, Homer City. 5:00 to 7:30 p.m.

-- September 21 -- Weekly PA Environment Digest Is Now Available [PaEN]

-- 111 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA [PaEN]

-- Stories You May Have Missed Last Week: PA Environment & Energy Articles & NewsClips By Topic - September 21 [PaEN]

-- Environment & Energy Educational Opportunities For Students & Adults [PaEN]

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - September 21 [PaEN]

-- Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week [PaEN]

-- House Environmental Committee To Hold Oct. 5 Hearing On New DEP Conventional Oil & Gas ‘Mineral Brine’ Permit Allowing Unrestricted, Unlimited Road Dumping Of Contaminated Water [PaEN]

-- PUC: Fewer, But Bigger Power Outages Impacted Nearly 2.9 Million Electric Customers In 2025, The Same As In 2024; But More Than Double The Number Of Customers Were Impacted By Major Outage Events [PaEN]

-- Feature: PJM Independent Market Monitor Recommends FERC Reject PJM's Interim Resource Adequacy Proposal Because It Just Punts Issues Of Who Gets Curtailed And Who Pays To The States - By Rob Altenburg, Attorney, Energy Analyst

-- PennLive Guest Essay: A Proposed PUC Settlement Could Quietly End Electric Supplier Choice For 2 Million Pennsylvanians By Automatically Returning Customers To Utility Default Service - By James H. Cawley, Former Chair, PA PUC

-- Utility Dive: Federal Judge Restores $7 Billion Solar For All Programs, Says EPA Illegally Axed It [Pennsylvania Awarded $156 Million Thru The Program ]