Energy & Environment
USDA promotes rural energy investments in Pennsylvania
SINKING SPRING, Pa. – To promote President Joe Biden’s “Investing in Rural America” event series, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made two visits in the Keystone State on Thursday, touting the latest round of grants in Pennsylvania. The USDA formally announced an additional $3.6 million in grants to help 30 agricultural producers and small […]
Court blocks Pa.’s entrance into multi-state carbon cap-and-trade program
The Commonwealth Court ruled on Wednesday that Pennsylvania cannot enter into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multi-state initiative to limit carbon emissions, saying it violates the state Constitution.
A bill under consideration in the Pa. House would make it easier to recycle electronic waste
State Rep. Lisa Borowski (D-Delaware) said her bill, House Bill 1607, aims to address the growing need for e-waste disposal, ease the financial impact on counties and local governments, and address the environmental concerns associated with e-waste.
Commentary: RGGI is about climate change. It’s also about environmental justice
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) offers a chance to add funding and emphasis to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s stated focus on environmental justice, writes Joseph Otis Minott, president of the Clean Air Action Fund.
Pa. House environmental leader guts his own bill to manage crypto mining growth
The Democratic chairperson of the state House committee that vets environmental policy gutted his own bill on Monday, legislation that was designed to help the state get a regulatory grip on the energy-hungry cryptocurrency mining industry. Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) had previously called off a June 27 vote on his crypto mining bill and an […]
‘So many ways hydrogen can go wrong’: Hub announcements viewed with caution
The Friday announcement that seven projects had been selected to receive $7 billion in seed money to kickstart the production of clean hydrogen across the country was billed by President Joe Biden’s administration as a major step toward slashing carbon emissions, creating thousands of domestic jobs and positioning the U.S. as a clean energy leader. […]
Biden touts ‘transformational’ hydrogen hub economy in Philadelphia visit
PHILADELPHIA — President Joe Biden told an audience of union workers and elected officials gathered at the Tioga Marine Terminal on Friday that $7 billion going toward seven regional hydrogen power hubs in 16 states would be “transformational” for the United States. “I truly believe that this country is about to take off because, for […]
Biden administration to send $7 billion for clean hydrogen hubs in 16 states
The Biden administration is directing $7 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law to build seven regional hydrogen power hubs in 16 states, the White House announced Friday. The projects, each of which is a cluster of assets that produce and process hydrogen fuel as an alternative to fossil fuels, will benefit the climate, the economy […]
Report shows that Pa. needs to boost renewable energy production, lawmakers, advocates say
The report, conducted by Environment American Research and Policy Center since 2013, showed that Pennsylvania has ranked “next-to-last among the 50 states in percentage growth of solar, wind and geothermal power” since the report started.
ZIP code discrimination, pollution top concerns at DEP meeting on environmental justice policy
Air quality, interagency collaboration, and community investments were among the chief concerns shared by Pennsylvanians about the Commonwealth’s interim environmental justice policy at a public meeting Wednesday evening.
Report: Pa. to receive federal grants for two hydrogen hubs
In a visit to Philadelphia on Friday, President Joe Biden is expected to announce that two hydrogen hubs partially located in Pennsylvania will receive federal grants from the Department of Energy, Reuters reported Wednesday. The Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub, which includes parts of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey will receive a $750 million grant, Reuters […]
DEP Environmental Justice meetings begin this week. Here’s how to participate
The 27-page policy outlines DEP’s approach to connecting with Pennsylvanians living in environmental justice communities — those disproportionately affected by factors such as poor air quality, old housing and infrastructure, and limited transportation — and explains how the agency will handle environmental compliance and enforcement efforts in these areas.