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

Environment & Energy NewsClips--

-- In Memoriam: Fmr State Sen. Noah Wenger, Longtime Lancaster County Farming, Chesapeake Bay Advocate Dies At 89

-- PA Conservation Districts Honor Sen. Wenger [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation Honors Sen. Wenger With Lifetime Achievement Award  [PaEN]

-- Sen. Noah Wenger Honored By Susquehanna River Basin Commission [ PaEN]

-- PA Environmental Professionals Honor Sen. Wenger With Karl Mason Award  [PaEN]

-- Obituary: Noah W. Wenger

Gov. Shapiro

-- AP: PA Sets Up Election Security Task Force Ahead Of 2024 Presidential Contest

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Shapiro Administration Launches Election Integrity Task Force

-- Erie Times: Why Shapiro’s Agenda Could Hinge On 3 Election Updates In State Senate

-- TribLive: Shapiro Releases Specifics Of Higher Education Restructuring Plan In Pittsburgh Visit

Budget

-- Dept. Of Revenue Reports February Tax Collections 2.6% Higher Than Expected; Fiscal Year-To-Date Up 0.3% Over Estimates

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports February State Revenues 4.1% Above IFO Estimates; Fiscal Year-To-Date Revenue Down 0.1% Lower Than IFO Estimates

Train Derailments

-- PA House Passed Train Safety Legislation In June 2023; PA Senate Has Failed To Act

-- MCall: 3 Norfolk Southern Trains Involved In Northampton County Derailment Sending 2 Engines Diesel Fuel, Plastic Pellets Into Lehigh River; Officials Say No Danger To Public

-- AP: 3 Norfolk Southern Trains Involved In ‘Collision And Derailment’ In Northampton County

-- KYW: Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Spills Diesel Fuel, Plastic Pellets Along Lehigh River Near Bethlehem

-- Post-Gazette - Mary Ann Thomas: Green Party’s Stein Slams Government, Norfolk Southern Railroad During Town Meeting In Beaver County

-- AP: Latest Freight Railroad Layoffs And Wall Street Pressure Renew Concerns About Safety And Service

Gas Explosions

-- MCall: Gas Leak Reported In Hellertown, Northampton County Prompting Evacuations 

PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices:  PA- $3.51; National- $3.33;  Ohio- $3.15

-- Williamsport Sun: Gasoline Prices Surging As March Nears

-- WTAJ: UGI Set To Lower Cost Of Natural Gas 3% March 1

-- Scranton Times: UGI Natural Gas Bills To Drop Again In March

-- Utility Dive: 2024 PJM Outlook - Tough Choices Loom On Capacity Market, Plant Retirements, Transmission Planning  [PJM To Process 230,000 MW Of New Generation Over 3 Years]

-- Utility Dive: Report Ranks PJM Grid Interconnection Process Worst Of Regional Grid Operators

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Same At 24; Added 3 Rigs During February

-- PA Utility Law Project March 15 Webinar On Impacts Of LNG Gas Exports On Energy Costs For Pennsylvania Families; LNG Export Capacity To Double, Even With Permit Pause  [PaEN]

-- Bloomberg: Gov. Shapiro Calls On Biden To Keep Pause On Permits For New LNG Gas Export Facilities Short  [PaEN]

-- Reuters: European Union Receives Bids For Nearly 3 Times The Volume Of Gas They Need

-- Bloomberg: Europe Awash With Gas Is Set To Rely More On Ukraine For Storage

-- Reuters: Qatar’s New LNG Gas Expansion Plans To Squeeze Out US, Other Rivals

-- Bloomberg: Qatar Has Eyes On More Long-Term Deals As It Bets Big On LNG Gas

-- Bloomberg: China’s February LNG Gas Imports Climb To Highest Ever For The Month

-- Reuters: Demand For Diesel Fuel, Heating Oil Fell In December To Lowest Since June 2020, EIA Says

Closure Of Brandon Shores Power Plant In Maryland

-- Sen. Yaw Guest Essay: Maryland Puts The Grid To The Test While Pennsylvania Pays The Bill

-- Utility Dive: Maryland Officials Press FERC To Reject PJM Directive For $785 Million In Transmission Upgrades And Consider Storage And Other Options To Handle Brandon Shores Closure

-- RTO Insider: PJM Rejects Electricity Storage As Alternative To Brandon Shores RMR Continued Operation 

-- Sierra Club: PJM Thwarts Maryland’s Coal-Free Ambitions While Costing Marylanders Millions

-- Talen Energy Letter To PJM: Closure Of Brandon Shores, HA Wagner Power Plants Is No Surprise

Environment/Energy Issues

-- Q/A With House Environmental Committee Majority Chair Greg Vitali

-- Guest Essay: The Conventional Oil And Gas Industry Isn't Taking Responsibility For Their Wells - By Rep. Greg Vitali, Majority Chair, House Environmental Committee  [PaEN]

-- Q/A With Senate Environmental Committee Majority Chair Gene Yaw

-- City & State PA: PA Senate Republican Leader Says ‘There’s Got To Be An All-Of-The-Above Strategy’ In PA Energy Policy

-- WESA: Republican US Senate Candidate Says Less Red Tape, More Natural Gas Are Key To PA’s Economic Future

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: DEP Hiring Dozens Of Workers For Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Well Plugging Program

-- Choose Clean Water Coalition, Partners Release Newest PA Clean Water Legislative Briefing Book - Water Quality Issues, Legislative & Funding Solutions  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: New Allegheny County Executive Hints At Environmental Policy Priorities During Carlow University Event

-- Williamsport Sun: Rep. Hamm Believes PA Needs To ‘Get Smarter’ About Gas Production

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 (March 18): Senate Bill 1058 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) abrogating the final regulation reducing carbon pollution from power plants [RGGI];  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; Senate Bill 832 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) establishing an Independent Energy Office;  House Bill 1246 (Malagari-D-Montgomery) set operational temperatures for crematories. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

House (March 18):  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

March 5-- House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee hearing on House Bill 491 (Young-D-Philadelphia) expanding the use of mechanical insulation in PUC Act 129 energy efficiency and conservation programs (sponsor summary). Room G-50 Irvis Building. Noon.  Click Here to watch online.

March 6-- House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee informational meeting on electric vehicle infrastructure.  Room G-50 Irvis Building. Noon.  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

<>  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

Budget Hearings: February 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

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: March 3, 2024]

3/4/2024