|
The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to meet on October 16 to consider legislation imposing a temporary moratorium on air permits for cryptocurrency mining operations.
Also on the agenda are resolutions to study the geothermal energy potential of abandoned mine water pools and designating Climate Week in Pennsylvania.
The legislation includes--
-- House Bill 1476 (Vitali-D-Delaware) establishes reporting requirements for certain cryptocurrency mining operations and a two-year moratorium on air permits for behind-the-grid energy generation used for cryptocurrency mining
-- House Resolution 185 (Webster-D-Montgomery) directs the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on the feasibility of using geothermal energy technologies that utilize abandoned mining locations and operations in this Commonwealth (sponsor summary); and
-- House Resolution 228 (Otten-D-Chester) designates the week of October 1 through 7, 2023, as "Climate Week" in Pennsylvania (sponsor summary).
Cryptocurrency Background
The Committee had held a May 1 hearing on the cryptocurrency issue and climate change where environmental groups expressed concerns about the power consumption and environmental impacts of electric generation facilities used to support cryptocurrency operations. Read more here.
On June 27, the Committee scheduled a meeting on House Bill 1476, but was asked by House Democratic Leadership not to consider the legislation. Read more here.
The Committee also scheduled House Bill 170 (Otten-D-Chester) extending setback safety zones around natural gas facilities for the same day, but that was not considered either. Read more here.
On September 26, listed House Bill 1476 again for consideration, but again the Committee passed over the bill.
Rep. Vitali’s related bill-- House Bill 1282 exempting cryptocurrency data mining facilities from the state tax credit for data centers (sponsor summary)- was reported out of his Committee June 6 and is now in the House Rules Committee.
The meeting will be held in Room G-50 of the Irvis Building starting at 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live online.
Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7647 or sending email to: gvitali@pahouse.net. Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-5075 or by sending email to: mcauser@pahousegop.com.
(Photo: Proposed Talen Energy bitcoin mining operation.)
Related Articles - Agenda Items:
-- House Environmental Committee Holds May 1 Hearing On Cryptocurrency And Climate Change
-- Leadership Opportunity: Pennsylvania Should Make Mine Water Geothermal A Key Part Of Its Clean Energy Transformation
-- UK Government: Mine Water Heat - A Proven Success
NewsClips - Energy/Climate:
-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro Isn’t Sold On RGGI Climate Program, His Working Group Isn’t Either - What’s Next?
-- York Daily Record Guest Essay: Gov. Shapiro, Let’s Hold The Fossil Fuel Industry Accountable Via RGGI - By Rev. Mitchell Hescox, Evangelical Environmental Network
-- The Derrick: $30 Million, 20 MW Solar Energy Facility To Break Ground In Clarion County Next Spring
-- Centre Daily Times Climate Watch: Make Community Solar Legal In Pennsylvania
-- Inside Climate News: A Reality Check About Solar Panel Waste And Effects On Human Health [Amount Is Tiny; Most Health Concerns Are Unfounded]
-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Ad Crable: Converting To Clean Energy Depends On Electric Transmission Line Buildout
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: PennDOT Releases Draft Map Of Priority Locations For Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
-- The Center Square: State Spending On Alternative Fuel Rebates Hists $15.7 Million
-- PennLive: Sheetz Receives PennDOT Grants To Expand Access To Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
-- Citizens Voice: Local Domino’s Deploying 10 Electric Vehicles To Deliver Pizzas
-- Penn State Hosts SPARK 2050 Energy Summit To Ignite Energy Transformation
-- Lehigh Valley News: PennEnvironment: PA Ranks 50th In US For Renewable Energy Growth
-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Lagged In Renewable Energy Growth In Past Decade, But Trend May Be Reversing
-- PA Capital-Star: Report Shows PA Needs To Boost Renewable Energy Production, Lawmakers, Advocates Say
-- The Daily Item Letter: Fossil Fuels Have A History Of Being Unreliable
-- PJM Interconnection Files Changes To Capacity Market To Promote Reliability
-- PA Physicians For Social Responsibility: MarkWest Carpenter Natural Gas Compressor Station Natural Gas Leaks In Washington County [Video]
-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Communities Marked For Federal Help To Address Climate Change
-- WESA: How A $9 Million Grant Will Boost Pittsburgh’s Urban Forest
-- Altoona Mirror Letter: America Must Rely On Renewable Energy, Nearly Every Species Of Plant, Insect, Fish, Wildlife Under Threat From Rapidly Warming Planet - By Ed Perry, Fmr US Fish & Wildlife Biologist
Related Articles - Energy/Climate:
-- EEN Action - Evangelical Environmental Network Will Deliver Over 51,000 Signatures To Gov. Shapiro In Support Of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative [PaEN]
-- Re-Imagining A Christian Response To Changing Climate - Comments By Dr. Julia O’Brien, Lancaster Theological Seminary [PaEN]
-- Impacto Media: Rich Negrin, Está Creando Un Ejército De Guerreros Ambientales [DEP Secretary Rich Negrin Is Forming An Army Of Climate Warriors] [PaEN]
-- House Committee Meets Oct. 16 On Cryptocurrency Mining Moratorium Bill; Resolution To Study Potential Of Geothermal Energy From Abandoned Mine Pools [PaEN]
-- PA GreenGov Council Launches PA Climate Change Mitigation & Resilience Network [PaEN]
-- DEP Accepting Applications For $16 Million In PA Grid Resilience Funding; Nov. 1 Deadline [PaEN]
-- Appalachian Regional Commission Awards $14.5 Million In Grants To Pittsburgh, Towanda Groups To Grow Green Manufacturing [PaEN]
-- PA Solar Center: Oct. 20 Webinar On Solar Guidebook For PA Landowners - Leasing Property For Large-Scale Solar Development [PaEN]
-- PA Interfaith Power & Light Religion & Environment Webinar Series: Nov. 1 - A Jewish Approach To Activism & Accompaniment Thru The Climate Crisis [PaEN]
-- PA Interfaith Power & Light, Jewish Earth Alliance Host Oct. 18 Webinar On Democracy, Voting & Climate Solutions [PaEN]
-- Manada Conservancy Hosts Nov. 2 In-Person Presentation On A Path Forward - Local Climate Action In Hershey [PaEN]
-- DCNR Blog: Forests Help With Climate Change
-- Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Still Fighting To Make Road Dumping Its Wastewater Legal; DEP Introduces Concepts Of A ‘Life Insurance Policy’ For Plugging Wells; Certified 3rd Party Inspectors [PaEN]
-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - October 7 to 13 - More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Spills; Venting Gas; Emergency Well Plugging [PaEN]
[Posted: October 10, 2023]
|
