The information you need to follow legislation in the House and Senate- starting with articles and NewsClips from last week--

Environment & Energy NewsClips--

Gov. Shapiro

-- Williamsport Sun Guest Essay: Green Energy Agendas And Political Cliffs - By Commonwealth Foundation  [Gov. Shapiro]

-- WESA: Gov. Shapiro Announces Plan To Prioritize Agriculture In 2024

-- Gov. Shapiro, USDA Secretary Announce $26 Million Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant Program

Gas Explosions

-- WTAE: Rustic Ridge Neighbor Honored For Heroic Acts After Natural Gas Explosion In Plum Boro, Allegheny County

-- TribLive Editorial: Rustic Ridge Carries On After Natural Gas Explosion In Plum Boro, Allegheny County

-- Beaver County Times: Potential Gas Line Explosion In Monaca Home Injures Two People

PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices:  PA- $3.33  National- $3.07  Ohio- $2.83

-- TribLive: National Gasoline Price Falls To Near $3, A Few Pittsburgh-area Stations Are Already There  [AAA PA Average Gasoline Price- $3.36

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Chesapeake Energy Buys Southwestern Leapfrogging EQT As Biggest Gas Producer In US

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Same As Last Week - 19

-- PJM Interconnection: Winter Weather Forces Natural Gas Pipeline Fuel Restrictions, ‘Conservative Operations’ Declared To Assure Electric Grid Reliability Through Jan. 17  [PaEN]

-- Reuters: US Power, Natural Gas Prices Soar As Extreme Freeze Hits Natural Gas Supplies [Again]

-- Inside Climate News: Plan For Shale Gas Drilling Spree Using Fluid Carbon Dioxide Instead Of Water In New York’s Southern Tier Draws Muted Response From Regulators, But Outrage From Green Groups

-- Inside Climate News: American Petroleum Institute Plans Election Year Blitz In Face of Climate Policy Pressure

-- Reuters: US Oil And Gas Production Growth Starts To Decelerate In Response To Lower Prices

-- Reuters: PJM Interconnection Asks Talen Energy To Postpone Retirements Of Oil, Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants In Maryland Due To Grid Reliability Concerns

-- Utility Dive: PJM Interconnection Triples Annual Electric Grid Load Growth To 2.4% Driven By Data Centers, Electrification

-- Financial Times: Resurgent US Electricity Demand Sparks Power Grid Warnings

-- Bloomberg: Spot Natural Gas Prices Jump Over 400% Ahead Of Texas Cold Blast

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Rebound Amid Escalating Violence In Middle East

-- Financial Times: Oil Tanker Seized By ‘Unauthorized Persons’ Near Gulf Of Oman And Diverted Towards Iran

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT Natural Gas Company Reaches LNG Deal In Texas

-- Bloomberg: Huge Wave Of LNG Investment May Delay Global Energy Transition

-- Bloomberg: Wave Of New LNG Natural Gas Plants Will Keep World Hooked On Fossil Fuel

-- WSJ: America’s Gas Bonanza Brings Biden New Political Dilemmas

Environment/Energy Issues

-- Williamsport Sun: Sen. Yaw Announces Reelection Bid

-- DEP Issued At Least 512 Violations To 95 Conventional Oil & Gas Operators For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them In 2023; 10 Shale Gas Operators Were Issued NOVs For Abandoning Wells  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Record 6,860 Notices Of Violation To Conventional Oil & Gas Operators In 2023-- Nearly 52% More Than In 2021; ‘Culture Of Non-Compliance’ Continues  [PaEN]

-- 2023 Shale Gas Operator Compliance Report: 1,310 Violations; Explosions; Pad Fire, Evacuation; Uncontrolled Gas Venting; Frack-Outs; Polluting Water Supply; Spills; Pipeline Crashing Thru A Home; More  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 4 to 12 - 9 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Leaking Wastewater Tanks; Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area Cleanup Continues; Pipeline Land Slips  [PaEN]

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Partisan Split On Energy, Environment Makes Compromise Unlikely

-- Inside Climate News: American Petroleum Institute Plans Election Year Blitz In Face of Climate Policy Pressure

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: Time For Pennsylvania To Speed Up Transition To Clean Energy - By PennEnvironment

-- Spotlight PA: School Funding, Permitting Top Of PA Legislature’s 2024 Agenda

-- PUC Calls On PA Congressional Delegation To Support Permanent Program To Provide Financial Assistance For Water, Wastewater Services To Low-Income Households [PaEN]

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PUC Commissioners Ask For Permanent Federal Low-Income Water, Wastewater Bill Assistance

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Should PA Hunters Be Allowed To Track Wounded Deer With Drones?

Top 10 Stories On Harrisburg/PA Politics Last Week--

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

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

Bill Calendars

Senate (February 5): Senate Bill 265 (Laughlin-R-Erie) amending the Sewage Facilities Act to allow garage floor drains to discharge into on-lot septic systems;  Senate Bill 831 (Yaw-R- Lycoming) would direct the state to apply for primary authority to regulate Class VI carbon dioxide underground injection wells from the US Environmental Protection Agency and establish a legal and regulatory framework for potential carbon dioxide capture, utilization and sequestration in Pennsylvania; House Bill 95 (Bullock-D- Philadelphia) increasing penalties for scattering rubbish <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

House (February 6):  House Resolution 196 (Matzie-D-Beaver) designating the week of September 18-24 Rail Safety Week; House Resolution 228 (Otten-D-Chester) designating the week of October 1 through 7, 2023, as "Climate Week" in Pennsylvania. <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings

House   

January 16-- House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee hearing on House Bill 1842 (Schweyer-D-Lehigh) authorizing community solar programs.  Room G-50 Iris Building. 11:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.

January 17-- House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee hearing on House Bill 1077 (Matzie-D-Beaver) reauthorization of Chapter 14 water, gas, electric customers billing and shut-off requirements.  Room 140 Main Capitol.  10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.

February 22-- House Appropriations Committee budget hearing - Dept. Of Agriculture.  Room 140 Main Capitol. 1:00 p.m. Click Here to watch online.

February 28-- House Appropriations Committee budget hearing - Departments Of Conservation & Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.  Room 140 Main Capitol. 1:00 p.m. Click Here to watch online.

March 19-- House Game & Fisheries Committee informational meeting on Fish & Boat Commission’s 2023 Annual Report.  Room 523, Irvis Building. 9:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

March 20-- House Game & Fisheries Committee informational meeting on Game Commission’s 2023 Annual Report.  Room 523, Irvis Building. 9:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

February 27-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing - 9:30 a.m. - Fish & Boat Commission; 1:00 p.m. - Dept. of Agriculture. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. Click Here to watch online.

February 29-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing - 9:30 a.m. - Dept. Of Environmental Protection. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. Click Here to watch online.

 <>  Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Pending In Key Committees

Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.

Session Schedule

Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--

Senate

February 5, 6, 7

Budget Hearings: February 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29; and March 5, 6, 7 

Click Here for Senate Agency Budget Hearing Schedule.

March 18, 19, 20

April 8, 9, 10, 29, 30

May 1, 6, 7, 8

June 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

House

February 6

House Agency Budget Hearing Schedule

March 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27

April 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 29, 30

May 1, 6, 7, 8, 20, 21, 22

June 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

[Posted: January 14, 2024]

1/15/2024