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As the seasons change and the weather turns colder, people could see their energy costs increase. WSKG talks with NYSEG President and CEO Trish Nilsen about how to keep costs down.
For customers who use natural gas for heating are expected to pay an average of $47 a month more for gas.
Studies will focus on childhood cancer, asthma and birth outcomes
Nine Mile Point is the first nuclear-powered clean hydrogen production facility in the country.
New York state overall, still has an average price of $4.34 a gallon, while the national average is $3.96 per gallon.
Gov. Tom Wolf is launching a review of the conventional drilling industry.
The city launched the program as part of the Ithaca Green New Deal initiative, which aims to completely eliminate the city’s net carbon emissions by 2030.
Under the regulation, power plants have to start keeping track of their emissions as of July 1, though they won’t have to pay for them yet.
Advocates say the USPS fleet of delivery trucks is perfect for conversion to electric vehicles, which would be in line with state and federal climate goals.
Over 10 years, the fee has generated almost $2.3 billion.
“What we’re passing now is incredibly weak anyway, but we just have to move forward, we just have to stop this.”
“It’s unacceptable to re-fire up old fossil fuel plants in the middle of a climate crisis just to make fake money to make a few rich people richer.”
Prices are up because of the rising costs of natural gas, which generates about half of the state’s electricity.
“The suspension of New York State gas taxes will save New Yorkers about $600 million through the end of the year.”
States have indicated that they would need more than $8 billion to clean up 130,000 other orphaned wells.
The groups say the war in Ukraine should not derail the Department of Transportation’s proposal to reinstate limits on LNG-by-rail.
Industry condemns the report, while advocates cite growing climate fears.
“To say we’re feeling pain at the pump is an understatement. Prices have literally doubled since last year.”
Companies in Appalachia pursue $8B in infrastructure funds for network of natural gas and ‘blue’ hydrogen
Among the goals is requiring 85% of homes and commercial buildings to be equipped with electrified heat pumps instead of fossil fuel-based furnaces.
Home heating prices are up as natural gas supply costs continue to surge worldwide. This comes as households in New York face staggering utility debt, which advocates worry will be difficult to pay back in time.
The measures seek to halt Gov. Tom Wolf’s moratorium on new drilling under state forests.
The Southern Door Community Land Trust will use the grant to retrofit current and future homes with green energy appliances, in an effort to reduce energy costs.
Not everyone is on board with an idea by a group of state senators to slash Pennsylvania’s gas tax by a third through the end of the year.
Gas in New York averages over $4.46 a gallon according to AAA, and it’s unclear when this surge, spurred by inflation and the war in Ukraine, will ease.
Biden Administration touts job-creating potential of wind industry
“Not only does this put the health of Pennsylvania families at risk, but it also means more methane pollution.”
Opponents say the bills would lock in status quo for fossil fuels
Texas-based pipeline builder Energy Transfer faces 48 criminal charges related to construction of its Mariner East pipeline project.
“This is a major, major initiative to deliver clean, healthier air and more electricity to New York City.”
Pa. adopted rules intended to protect people from market volatility like what Texas saw last winter
Natural gas still leads as the nation’s top source of electricity, generating 1,617 kWh last year, or about 40% of U.S. power generation.
“We would like him to remove all dirty fossil fuel solutions, including, for example, the combined heat and power plants, which run on fracked gas. That, under Mr. Tonko’s definition, is clean energy,”
STATEIMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Companies that drill for natural gas in Pennsylvania have used EPA-approved PFAS or pre-cursors to PFAS in fracking operations in other states, according to a report by Physicians for Social Responsibility. CLICK HERE.
New York state aims to have 70% of electricity used, coming from renewable resources by 2030.
Unconventional wells produced 7.1 trillion cubic feet of gas last year, even as national and regional natural gas prices dipped in response to the pandemic.
Originally known as the Niagara Mohawk Power Plant, the facility operated from the 1950s until 2015. Decommissioning began last year.
“The car is a way of life here. It is not just for recreational purposes. People need this to go to work. People need this to take care of business.”
“We want to make it easier for customers to have access to them wherever you live in New York state, not just in the downstate markets.”
Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said he was concerned about a proposed fee in the legislation that would charge fossil fuel companies $55 per ton of greenhouse gases.
Fracking caused upheaval over the disruption and environmental degradation in the rural communities surrounding Williamsport, and challenged the rural values of independence and sovereignty over private property.
“We’re working hard on that, and I’m quite optimistic we can meet these goals. But it’s going to take huge participation and buy-in from everyone.”
“New York State’s pension fund is at the leading edge of investors addressing climate risk, because investing for the low-carbon future is essential to protect the fund’s long-term value.”
“Jobs in renewables don’t always match up for displaced workers.”
New York state leaders say an agreement has been reached concerning the decommissioning and cleanup of the Indian Point nuclear power plant in the lower Hudson Valley.
Pennsylvania’s targets for renewable energy are set to max out this year unless the General Assembly takes action, and Republican leaders seem ready to leave increasing goals for green energy up to the private sector.
University of Pittsburgh researchers slated to conduct 3-year study.
The Senator is among lawmakers now calling for increased support for LIHEAP, including at least $10 million in emergency funding.
“We need Joe Biden to demonstrate that he truly is a man that believes in science and believes in honoring the commitment to protect future generations.”
Plans include new solar farms and off shore wind turbines, and more transmission lines across the state.
State announced $3.9 M studies after pressure from families of rare cancer patients in SW PA
Under the settlement, NYSEG would halt a proposed pipeline expansion in the Southern Tier and would stop promoting the use of natural gas and commit to net-zero growth in gas sales.
“Utilities do not have a mandate. They are legally required to provide adequate and reliable service that’s in the public interest … and they have dropped the ball far too long.”
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted it is “the largest ever combined solicitations for renewable energy ever issued in the U.S.”
Grand jury makes proposals on regulation, oversight of fracking industry
NYSEG electric customers would see about a 2.3% increase in the first year, with the average monthly customer seeing a monthly increase of $2.49.
“When a crime is committed because of how a company does business, rather than an individual’s actions, we charge the company.”
In recent years, climate activists and states have used the Clean Water Act to block pipelines and other fossil fuel projects. A new EPA rule makes that harder,
Estimates don’t capture leaks from ‘abnormal’ conditions, Environmental Defense Fund says
GasBuddy on Monday reported that the national average price for a gallon of gas has increased 1.5 cents in a week to $1.75.
Help with refinancing debt could help shale companies in PA
“What we tried to do today is recognize some of those other organizations that are really on the front lines every single day doing this type of work around food and food care.”
Regulator, company at odds over erosion, hillside slips
‘Everything that can go wrong, has gone wrong’
It’s a different story on the commercial side, with a lot of businesses around the state forced to close if they are considered non-essential.
Coronavirus cases at Limerick nuclear station raised concerns. Pa. plants say they’re working to prevent outbreaks during refueling outages.
“We are following government guidelines with distancing measures being taken, increased cleaning schedules in-place, and limits on gatherings of groups.”
Wolf administration grants all of Energy Transfer’s waiver requests
Company says state has allowed some work to continue.
Construction on the Mariner East pipeline appears to be halted by Gov. Wolf’s new order that shuts down all “non-life-sustaining” operations and businesses.
PJM had prepared for pandemics and even did dry-runs with their staff working from home.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, between 2009 and 2017 lithium-ion batteries were the “root cause” of at least 195 fires.
Pennsylvania is getting less money from the federal government this year to clean up its old abandoned mines.
Support for a ban strong in cities and suburbs; weak in rural SW Pennsylvania
Republicans are pushing for looser regulations on conventional oil and gas drillers, who generally run small operations and work with relatively shallow wells.
“What will change is the unchecked power of just a handful of opponents to delay or block development of critical infrastructure projects that benefit the greater good.”
Fracking pollution not included in study; could lessen health benefits, author says
The settlement also lifts a nearly year-long permit freeze on the company’s other pipeline projects, including the cross-state Mariner East pipelines.
Carnegie Mellon University study focused on Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia
“What would I say now? I would say because of the regional and local health concerns and concerns about climate change, we should stop fracking–everywhere.”
The boom that helped make the U.S. the world’s largest oil producer could be ending. Oil prices are down amid weak demand and investors no longer seem willing to write the industry a blank check.
Proposed bill would require Legislature to OK Pennsylvania becoming part of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Natural gas is mostly used for heating homes or fueling power plants. But when it comes out of the ground, it contains another key ingredient — ethane, a building block of plastics.
To turn ethane into the building block of plastic, petrochemical companies are investing in ethane cracker plants, raising concerns about what these facilities could mean for air pollution and climate change.
Pennsylvania’s Republican US Senator introduced a resolution he hopes will enable Congress to defeat future presidents’ fracking bans in court.
Rules on coal ash ponds, wastewater from coal-fired power plants are targeted
Almost a year after lines opened, residents will say the project remains a risk to public safety
Resolves 2018 order involving more than 1,000 wells.
“The benefit is there’s employment in the area. But the rest of the town’s neglected and I don’t feel our town of Grangemouth benefits as much as it should, with an oil refinery on our doorstep.”
Last Friday around noon, Three Mile Island nuclear power plant stopped producing electricity, part of Exelon Corp.’s plan to close and decommission the plant over the next 60 years.
Those people who support nuclear worry that without tax breaks, the plants will be shut out of a competitive energy market
Owners of existing clean energy power plants in New York say they’d like the same support from the state for their businesses that new ones get.
The raft of proposals serves as a rejection of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s own energy plan.
The Commonwealth Court said last week that the Democratic senator, an outspoken critic of Sunoco, did not have personal or legislative standing to bring a complaint
For decades, the United Kingdom has relied on oil and gas from the North Sea. Those fields, first developed in the 1960s and 70s, are declining.
Their call for action comes as the Trump administration works to loosen federal regulations on the powerful greenhouse gas.
The massive refinery and petrochemical complex in Grangemouth, Scotland, run by INEOS, was one of the first overseas plants to receive Pennsylvania ethane.
Over 50 people at a public hearing called on the Public Service Commission to deny rate increase.
President Trump tours a Pennsylvania petrochemical plant Tuesday to highlight the U.S. energy boom. Trump claims credit for surging oil and gas production, but the trend began before he took office.
For now, independent pipeline experts say the blast appears to have been caused by the relighting of a pilot in a flare used by Sunoco for burning off excess gases, at a time when vapor had accumulated there.
More public input sessions on the NYSEG rate hike are set in Ithaca, Binghamton and the Adirondacks in the next week.
The company did not explain what caused the backfire but apologized for the noise, which alarmed neighbors and fueled longstanding concerns about the safety of the new pipelines, which carry highly volatile natural gas liquids.
A New York metastudy details the adverse effects fracking has on Pennsylvania’s environment, its climate and human health.
An opponent of the Mariner East project says he will ask an appeals court to order the Public Utility Commission to disclose documents containing its calculations on the effects of an accidental release of natural gas liquids from the pipelines.
A Salt Lake City-based company is in talks to purchase and dismantle Three Mile Island’s long-mothballed Unit 2 reactor — the site of the nation’s worst nuclear accident in 1979.
The power grid operator has received appeals from around the country to ensure its next leader prioritizes clean energy.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation Thursday mandating 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, and an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. That’s below levels from 1990.
Pennsylvania is the third-largest coal producing state in the country. But coal generated electricity plants have struggled to compete with cheaper natural gas and renewable energy.
PJM is now trying to walk a fine line between respecting states’ rights and figuring out how to incorporate their climate polices into its wholesale electricity market.
A Washington County judge has issued a court order barring The Allegheny Front, StateImpact Pennsylvania and 90.5 WESA from publishing the content of a publicly available legal document obtained by a reporter for the news organizations.
After months of Democratic Governor Tom Wolf promoting a sweeping infrastructure plan funded by a tax on natural gas drillers, some Senate Republicans have come up with an alternative.
Coal-fired power plants keep closing and communities around the country must decide what to do with those sites. Pennsylvania has a plan, aiming to create new jobs where the old ones have been lost.
Under the proposal, NYSEG natural gas customers would see a 1.9% increase, or about $1.05 more per month.
The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, site of the nation’s worst nuclear accident, will shut down by the end of September. Backers failed to secure subsidies to keep the plant operating.
“It’s not just about the environment. It’s about jobs. These are great, high-paying jobs we can create by going to renewable energy.”
“It seems natural for us to do that, with the hydroelectric power generation that goes on here.”
Experts testified before a House Science, Space, & Technology subcommittee that nuclear energy is important in limiting air pollution from the power sector, and for national security.
“All they’ve ever gotten is a slap on the wrist. It’s time for that to change. I’ll hold the oil and gas companies criminally liable for poisoning our air and our drinking water.”
“It’s a poor choice of words. It’s not a fair comparison. I mean these are working folk, these are salt-of-the-earth people.”
Nuclear power plants in Pennsylvania and around the country are running out of room to store spent fuel. Private companies are pitching their own solutions.
The state House Speaker and other Republican lawmakers announced a slate of bills Monday that are aimed at bolstering Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry.
“Why did they (state inspectors) grant these water permits the way they did? What was the rush in February, 2017? Did anyone put pressure on them to encourage that?”
Several members of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee met in Pittsburgh for a hearing on methane, the main component of natural gas and a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
The amounts shown represent the annual impact of HB 11 during reporting year 2019.
“We want to make sure you have the appropriate skilled, trained personnel on-hand to deal with providing that reliable service.”
“No real reason has been given to pass this legislation, other than we need the money to enhance our profit margin and to charge more for nuclear power.”
The bills recognize nuclear plants as sources of carbon-free electricity and create new requirements about how electric utilities are to purchase power.
If approved, company will pay $200,000 fine and step up safety inspections of aging pipeline
Senate Bill 510 recognizes the plants as carbon free energy and adds nuclear power to the state’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard
“You can practice it in the best-case scenario, but what we know is people will be scared,”
The location was strategic, giving Wolf a chance to highlight the kind of infrastructure projects he’d like to complete with the $4.5 billion his administration says the tax would produce.
The country has ambitious goals to become the “hydrogen society,” and right now, the focus is on its automakers.
The nuclear watchdog group is asking federal regulators to analyze what the group calls a “potentially dangerous and risky condition”
The Department of Environmental Protection has issued more than 80 violations, halted construction at times along the route, and fined the company $12.6 million.
Opponents criticized the measure as too expensive and said it squanders an opportunity to fully address climate change.
Alabama company has until 2033 to plug wells or put them back into production
How a young team at CMU helped expand the fledgling field of robotics.
Energy Transfer, parent company of Sunoco Logistics and builder of the Mariner East natural gas liquids pipelines, is the target of a Chester County grand jury investigation.
A new report finds coal ash pollution is leaking into groundwater at nine power plants around Pennsylvania and over 200 nationwide. West Pa. site has arsenic 372 times the ‘safe’ level
Nearly 130,000 homes in the U.S. still burn coal for heat. Despite decades of decline and concerns about climate change, companies in the coal home-heating business are optimistic about the future.
Sunoco’s parent company admitted it made mistakes in building the Mariner East pipelines through Pennsylvania, and told investors that it will do better in future, but its assurances failed to persuade critics that the project will become any safer for the public or more protective of the environment.
Draft legislation aimed at helping Pennsylvania’s ailing nuclear industry would reclassify the plants as “zero emission energy” and create new requirements about how electric companies are to purchase power.
Pittsburgh researchers are working on potentially cheaper ways to capture carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants. So-called “clean coal” technology is expensive, but some experts say it’s crucial to address climate change.
Europe’s investments in offshore wind have fueled better technology, more competition and cheaper capital for new projects. That’s driven down the cost of offshore power and now the US is capitalizing on the savings.
As residents of the mid-Atlantic and Midwest stayed indoors this week to avoid the Arctic air that swept the region, they used a lot of electricity and natural gas to keep warm.
The fee Pennsylvania collects from natural gas drillers is expected to reach a record $247 million this year, according to figures released Thursday by the state’s Independent Fiscal Office.
A worker on Sunoco’s Mariner East project has threatened a Chester County opponent of the pipeline on social media in two posts that included an obscenity.
A Pennsylvania court said the Department of Environmental Protection unlawfully issued air-quality permits to Sunoco for its natural gas liquids plant at Marcus Hook in Delaware County, and it ordered the department to re-do its analysis over whether the plant should be subject to two sets of emissions rules.
