PA Environment Digest, By David E. Hess, Former PA DEP Secretary

March 14 Pennsylvania Power Outages Due To Wind Damage - 238,089 [8:15 a.m.] poweroutage.us/area/state/p...

PPL Utilities Files Non-Unanimous Rate Settlement Cutting Increase From $13.37/month To $7.42/Month; Providing 2-Year Freeze On Rates; Adding Large Load Tariff; $11 Million In Low-Income Energy Assistance [PaEN] tinyurl.com/9cbmp6ua

DOE offers $1.9B for transmission reconductoring, advanced tech The SPARK funding opportunity renames the Biden-era Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program.

Utility Dive: US DOE Offers $1.9 Billion For Transmission Line Reconducting, Advanced Tech tinyurl.com/57thm3eu

‘Clear warning signs’ as PJM wholesale power costs jump 54% in one year Also, PJM’s last two base capacity auctions show a growing shortfall compared to its reserve margin targets, according to the grid operator’s market monitor. Prices will continue rising until large da...

Utility Dive: ‘Clear Warning Signs’ As PJM Wholesale Power Costs Jump 54% In One Year tinyurl.com/yhpu8w8c

DEP Receives Act 2 Land Recycling Notice On Former Cheswick Power Plant To Be Converted To Springdale A.I. Data Center In Allegheny County [PaEN] tinyurl.com/mte2yexr

DEP’s Initial Findings In First Report On Sampling Landfill Leachate For Radioactive Radium-- 'No Significant Risk To Human Health’ Based On Concerns About Radioactive Materials In Oil/Gas Drilling Wastes; ‘Limited’ Data Means More Sampling Needed [PaEN] tinyurl.com/39v46mfk

READ CAREFULLY: PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - March 14 [PaEN] tinyurl.com/4832p9yv

READ CAREFULLY - Lots Going On: DEP Posted 77 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In March 14 PA Bulletin [PaEN] tinyurl.com/2djpa86v

DEP Reaches $11.4 Million Settlement With Four Companies For Bishop Tube Site Cleanup In Chester County; Public Comments Due May 14 [PaEN] tinyurl.com/8bthzxp3

DEP’s Initial Findings In First Report On Sampling Landfill Leachate For Radioactive Radium-- 'No Significant Risk To Human Health’ Based On Concerns About Radioactive Materials In Oil/Gas Drilling Wastes; ‘Limited’ Data Means More Sampling Needed [PaEN] tinyurl.com/39v46mfk

University Of Scranton, Partners Host March 30 In-Person Program On How A.I. Data Centers Are Reshaping Pennsylvania's Energy Landscape, Pearn Auditorium, Scranton [PaEN] tinyurl.com/yb8muw2w

Friday - PA Environment & Energy Articles - NewsClips: 3.13.26: tinyurl.com/2p9vnw2j

Financial Times: Iran War Causing Largest Disruption In History To Oil Supplies, Says IEA tinyurl.com/5yr2393z

Trump: US benefits from high oil prices, but priority is stopping Iran U.S. ​President Donald ‌Trump said ​on ​Thursday that rising ⁠oil ​prices ​mean greater profits for ​the ​United States, but ‌his ⁠priority is stopping ​Iran ​from ⁠having nuclear ​weapons.

Reuters: The President - US [Oil Companies] Benefit From High Oil Prices, But Priority Is Stopping Iran www.reuters.com/business/ene...

TribLive: US DOE Secretary - $6 A Gallon Gasoline Not Ruled Out tinyurl.com/mrxnhsju

March 13: PA Average Gasoline Price Up 56 Cents/Gallon To $3.67 Since Feb. 27 [Still $3.79 at Sheetz In Harrisburg] gasprices.aaa.com?state=PA

$5 Heating Oil Arrives in US in Latest Iran War Fuel Pain Point US residential heating oil prices surged above $5 a gallon, the highest since November 2022, as the war in Iran strains global diesel and crude flows critical for home heating.

Bloomberg: $5 Heating Oil Arrives In US In Latest Fuel Pain Point Resulting From President’s War On Iran www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Partisan sniping underway as Pennsylvania confronts $5B deficit (The Center Square) - How to build a financial bridge across the vast chasm between Pennsylvania's potential spending and revenue figures - gauged at roughly $5 billion or more -

The Center Square: Partisan Sniping Underway As PA Confronts $5 Billion Deficit www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania...

Snow geese take off for the Arctic in mesmerizing sunrise display Thousands of snow geese touch down at a Pennsylvania reservoir each spring, turning sunrise into a loud, swirling liftoff that draws big crowds.

AP: Snow Geese Take Off For The Arctic In Mesmerizing Sunrise Display At Middle Creek Wildlife Area In Pennsylvania apnews.com/article/phot...

Philly-area electricity customers pay up to 20% of bills toward company profits Some customers in the Philly area pay as much as 20% of their monthly electric bill to company profits, according to a report. An industry group calls the report misleading.

WHYY - Susan Phillips: 20% Of Your Electric Bill Could Go To Electric Utility Profits whyy.org/articles/uti...

Pennsylvania’s data center boom, by the numbers Dozens of new data centers are proposed in the commonwealth, big companies are pledging to spend billions, and many Pennsylvanians are skeptical.

Spotlight PA: Pennsylvania’s A.I. Data Center Boom, By The Numbers: 53 Data Center Proposals; State Could Lose $2 Billion In Tax Money; 800% Increase In PJM Power Costs www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/03...

Rising fuel prices add to growing list of hardships for Pennsylvania farmers Pennsylvania farmers say economic factors like diesel fuel and fertilizer costs are pushing them to the edge.

KDKA: Rising Fuel, Fertilizer Prices Add To Tariffs And A Growing List Of Hardships For PA Farmers ​​ www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/n...

PennLive Guest Essay: Conservation Works For Farms, But Congress Must Keep It Going In Federal Farm Bill Funding - By William Thiele, Butler County Dairy Farmer www.pennlive.com/opinion/2026...

Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves Water Withdrawal Requests, Including An Increase For The Amazon Data Center In Luzerne County [PaEN] tinyurl.com/htnb6u3z

PPL profit is tops for utilities in Northeast PPL Electric Utilities last year ranked first for profit margin among utilities in the Northeast and eighth in the nation, a new report said.

Scranton Times: PPL Utilities Profit Is Tops For Utilities In Northeast US www.thetimes-tribune.com/2026/03/12/p...

Residents Protest Outside Invite-Only Meeting Between Washington County Commissioners, Developers, A.I. Data Center Reps [PaEN] tinyurl.com/bdea5xfv

Officials still revising proposed data center zoning ordinance covering 19 Luzerne County municipalities <p>After further considering more revisions on Thursday, Luzerne County’s Planning Commission held off on recommending a data center zoning amendment to County Council that would apply to 19 municipal...

Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Luzerne County Officials Still Revising Proposed A.I. Data Center Zoning Ordinance Covering 19 Municipalities www.timesleader.com/news/1735244...

Opinion: Pa. never had a plan to prepare for data centers, now it needs a temporary statewide moratorium <p>Locally and across Pennsylvania, communities are being confronted with proposals for massive data centers… industrial, hyper-scale facilities that consume enormous amounts of electricity and water ...

Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader Guess Essay: PA Never Had A Plan To Prepare For A.I. Data Centers, We Need A Temporary Statewide Moratorium - By Bill Jones, Republican Candidate For PA House District 117 www.timesleader.com/opinion/1735...

PUC To Host March 19 Meeting Of PA Sustainable Energy Board [PaEN] tinyurl.com/5482s9jt

DEP Invests $15.2 Million In Federal Fund To Support 15 Local Abandoned Mine Reclamation Projects In 11 Counties; Next Grant Round Opens April 1 [PaEN] tinyurl.com/3ksmzp4k