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Monthly Archives: March 2014

Powelson Unanimously Confirmed as PUC Commissioner for 2nd Full Term

On Wednesday the state Senate unanimously confirmed the re-nomination of Chairman Robert Powelson to his second five-year term as a Commissioner at the state Public Utility Commission (PUC).

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House Committee Approves Minimum Royalty Legislation

Legislation that would clarify a minimum royalty payment in state law was reported out of the House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee this week.  House Bill 1684 is sponsored by four Republican legislators in the heart of drilling country: Reps. Garth Everett (Lycoming), Tina Pickett (Bradford), Matt Baker (Tioga) and Sandra Major (Susquehanna).

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EESI Issue Brief: Obama Administration FY 2015 Budget Proposal: Sustainable Energy, Buildings, Transportation and Climate

President Obama released his $3.9 trillion fiscal year (FY) 2015 budget proposal for the federal government on March 4, 2014. The budget reflects the administration’s “all of the above” energy strategy as well as its reinvigorated focus on addressing climate change, following the unveiling of the President’s Climate Action Plan in June 2013. The proposed 2015 budget increases the Department of Energy’s (DOE) funding by 2.6 percent over 2014 enacted levels, but reduces the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) by 3.8 percent.

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Presidential Actions Could Jumpstart Clean Energy

Because of the federal gridlock around energy and climate change, a report by the Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) urges the president to advance key measures of a clean energy policy, chiefly by using executive powers that are not dependent on action by a divided Congress. The CNEE report, “Powering Forward: Presidential and Executive Agency Actions to Drive Clean Energy in America”, outlines an array of executive actions the administration could implement to advance climate policy.

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Budget Hearings End, General Assembly Back March 10

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees this week concluded hearings on Governor Corbett’s 2014-15 state budget proposal. Speaking before the House Committee, Budget Secretary Charles Zogby said that the administration is prepared to modify its proposal if projected revenue marks are not reached.

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DEP Opens Alternative Fuel Vehicles Grant Program – ERG Can Help

The Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications for its Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) program, which will provide an estimated $8 million in grants for the purchase or conversion of alternative fuel vehicles.

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House Votes to Block EPA Regs on Coal-Fired Electricity Plants

The House voted today to override a proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule limiting carbon emissions from future coal-fired electricity plants.

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