Energy

A comprehensive energy policy - addressing traditional and alternative energy - is needed to increase supply, improve efficiency and protect the environment..

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Mar 10, 2010 Fuel spill reported in Armenia Township (The Daily Review (Towanda, Pa.)) The source of the spill, he said, is believed to be a drilling rig component, but he couldn't be more specific. He added that fuel is no longer leaking from the source.    more...  
Mar 10, 2010 Allegheny County hires energy consultant (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Rujumba Mar. 10, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Allegheny County has hired a consultant to conduct energy audits in 104 municipal building all over the county as part of its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program, a part of a broad energy conservation policy...    more...  
Mar 10, 2010 Energy audits planned to try to save 104 towns money (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) He said the company is interviewing two job candidates from Pittsburgh and has an agreement with a local, minority-owned business to work as a subcontractor.    more...  
Mar 9, 2010 BRIEF (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) Allegheny County will undergo an energy audits spring using federal stimulus money, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato announced today. The county will use $212,000 in federal grants to pay Chicago-based Lime Energy (NASDAQ:LIME) to check how energy is used in 104 town government offices....    more...  
Mar 9, 2010 Despite concerns, Dallastown OKs road project (York Daily Record) Borough engineer Steve Malesker said decisions would be made on a case-by-case basis. Malesker has said delaying the project would only increase the cost immensely.    more...  
Mar 9, 2010 Ford City ponders joining regional police force (The Leader-Times) The borough maintains its own water department to supply residents with water. It can be applied to water supply projects. The vehicle will be titled in the name of both the borough and the fire company.    more...  
Mar 9, 2010 Storm water pact gains the approval of Chambersburg Borough Council (Public Opinion) ...consent agreement between the borough of Chambersburg and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has been given the green light by borough council. Council unanimously approved the agreement at Monday night's meeting. The new agreement for storm water and sewage management will...    more...  
Mar 8, 2010 Black and white and green all over (Intelligencer Journal/ Lancaster New Era) Ross ventured, "I think we have the votes, but it's a little shaky right now.    more...  
Mar 8, 2010 Chambersburg Borough Council to eye storm water pact (Public Opinion) Rich Alloway, R-Chambersburg, contacted the agency on behalf of the borough in order to assist with discussions.    more...  
Mar 8, 2010 Despite setbacks, plans for Erie energy plant hang on (Erie Times-News) GEIDC asked Erie County Judge John Garhart to toss out the suit as meritless. ERE would have to go through the process again if it wants to build somewhere else.    more...  
Mar 8, 2010 Cleanup success (The Tribune-Democrat) Upgrade and improve operation of existing mine drainage treatment systems in the Yellow Creek watershed. $32,000. Young Township -- Kiskiminitas River Watershed. The work should be completed in April. Elk Lick and Summit townships -- Somerset County Conservation District. Construct passive...    more...  
Mar 7, 2010 The Next Page: Midsize cities, big ideas (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Streets, public transit, bikeways and connected green space weave the city together. Compared with other cities of its size, Pittsburgh has the highest percentage of daily transit use to its employment centers. Pittsburgh is a world leader in sustainable development.    more...  
Mar 7, 2010 Time for a change at I-79 interchange (The Meadville Tribune) CEED director Amara Geffen said during a recent interview. As a professor of art at Allegheny, Geffen headed up CEED's contribution to the project, working in collaboration with environmental reclamation artist Angelo Ciotti, landscape architect Chris Brown and environmental engineer Steve Halmi....    more...  
Mar 7, 2010 Lawsuit possible in Millcreek bulk water case (Erie Times-News) ...authority for the bulk water that the authority buys to supply its water customers in Millcreek. The authority accuses Erie Water Works with overbilling, a claim that Erie Water Works denies. The potential court case comes at a time when Erie Water Works has offered to run the Millcreek...    more...  
Mar 7, 2010 A little-understood fungus is killing them at an alarming rate Can bats be saved? (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) But bats play a vital role in the environment. Like all hibernating mammals, bats have a routine arousal pattern, waking from hibernation about every 14 days. Reeder said. "White-nose Syndrome is moving faster than we can.    more...  
Mar 7, 2010 Traffic Club brings together transportation and industry leaders (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) Such meetings can lay the groundwork for future deals, give each company the chance to talk about problems, or just put faces to the names of bosses and clients. Other scholars have returned to the club as members, including board members Trish Cox and Kristen Boyle. He still is working as the...    more...  
Mar 6, 2010 Wayne County landowners with gas-drilling deals complain about slow approval process (The Times-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.)) Coccodrilli pins part of the blame as to why companies have been reluctant to lease their properties on the Delaware River Basin Commission. Gas Lease Group, a landowners alliance in the basin that adjoins Mr. Coccodrilli's alliance, also has his eyes on Clinton Twp. Mr.    more...  
Mar 6, 2010 Cheryl Tiegs to promote sustainable living at home show (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Tieg's California home is a cornucopia of earth-friendly initiatives. Tiegs removed Italian ceramic tile from her own kitchen floor to make way for Cambria quartz. Tiegs chose for her contemporary kitchen remodel comes from Cambria's Desert collection, which includes 15 muted colors inspired by...    more...  
Mar 6, 2010 Officials set plan for flooding (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) To their disappointment, he said, the locks and dams have nothing to do with reducing flood damage. You can survive on Diet Pepsi or coffee for a couple days. But you have to buy an awful lot of Diet Pepsi to flush your toilet a couple times.    more...  
Mar 5, 2010 New Kensington-Arnold School District audit to study use of energy (The Valley News-Dispatch) The audit would be completed at no cost.    more...  
Mar 5, 2010 Shikellamy board mulls $3M bond issue for energy work (The Daily Item) Most members seemed to favor it, although director Lori Garman said she preferred a $2.5 million scenario. The vote will be March 11.    more...  
Mar 5, 2010 Landowners urged to seek deal (The Times Leader) ...with a company in Western Pennsylvania say landowners in the Marcellus Shale region can benefit by banding together to negotiate natural gas drilling leases with energy companies. Representatives of Dick Landowners Group will be in the area next week meeting privately with some landowners to...    more...  
Mar 5, 2010 PPL request might be a double hit (The Times Leader) It would trigger a suspension of the hike for seven months and set up a review by the PUC.    more...  
Mar 5, 2010 Groups want coal ash labeled hazard; $11 billion a year at stake (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) One megawatt can power 800 homes. "Our facility in Shippingport was built specifically to handle the material from the flue gas desulfurization process at the FirstEnergy power plant.    more...  
Mar 4, 2010 Seven-hour hearing focuses on response to Feb. 5-6 snowstorm (The Valley Independent) Peter J. Daley, D-California, at the Mon Valley Career and Technology Center. Dickens said the electric company is undergoing an internal study of its response to the storm. They dealt with 2,300 cases of trouble. Dickens said the heavy snow coated tree branches. Allegheny Power even utilized...    more...  
Mar 4, 2010 Your Place: How to track down a pro for a home energy audit (The Philadelphia Inquirer) Solution: Door sweeps are cheap and keep the draft out. Damp blades attract dust.Windows: For streak-free glass, apply cleaner to windows with a slightly dampened sponge. Wipe across the window with a dampened squeegee blade, then wipe the blade.    more...  
Mar 4, 2010 Environmental building show set for LCCC (The Times Leader) ...options become more mainstream in the building industry, designers aren't always aware which ones are available locally. That's why the Luzerne County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers and the Northeastern Chapter of the American Institute of Architects...    more...  
Mar 1, 2010 $53 million Washington-Greene gas pipeline plan is topic of meeting (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) The commission encourages electronic filing of comments and offers staff assistance at 1-202-502-8258 or efiling@ferc.gov. Those wishing to file by mail should send comments to Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St.    more...  
Mar 1, 2010 Firm intends to save Allegheny County big on energy (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Zappa, adding that the county has a guaranteed energy savings contract with Noresco. "They are on the hook. But the thing is, they will be making a guarantee of what we will save in energy costs. Zappa. The firm started its audit last month, specifically analyzing the county's heating and...    more...  
Mar 1, 2010 W. Va. groups to sue Consol over mine discharge that killed fish (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) ...groups, the West Virginia DEP's December compliance order lets Consol discharge more chloride pollution from its Blacksville No. 2 mine than federal limits allow. The groups said chloride pollution can elevate conductivity and levels of total dissolved solids in streams, making them...    more...  
Feb 28, 2010 Alle-Kiski Valley school districts urged to join forces for buying power (The Valley News-Dispatch) They were concerned," Holodnak said. Holodnak said the intermediate units are recommending OnDemand Energy Solutions, based in Moon in the West Hills of Pittsburgh, to be the electrical consultant. Electricity prices in the futures market are at five year lows. We're trying to capitalize on...    more...  
Feb 28, 2010 Lower L'town energy bills? (The Evening Sun) Benchmark "only gets paid if they save the borough money." Under the new program, all billing from Columbia Gas and Met-Ed will first go through Benchmark, a process that will provide the borough an additional savings in administrative time, Conrad said. And if the borough does see a savings...    more...  
Feb 28, 2010 Residents vow to fight plans to revive local power line route (The Morning Call) No more.' " The company abandoned the Lehigh Valley route that would cut through LeBus' property in 2008. That route does not run through the Lehigh Valley or the LeBus property. So far the bill is about $1 million. "It's not costly to PPL," spokesman Paul Wirth said. "It's costly to PPL's...    more...  
Feb 28, 2010 No birth control cure-all (The Times Leader) GonaCon is registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a restricted use pesticide and still needs approval from the state Department of Agriculture before it can be used by communities in Pennsylvania. While the Game Commission must approve the use of the pesticide, administering...    more...  
Feb 28, 2010 Bank on the Riverlands for recreation (The Times Leader) ...walk around the picnic grounds and lake. "We like it because it's nice and quiet," Helen said while keeping warm under a big red coat, gloves and a knit hat. With the closing of Moon Lake Park in January, the Susquehanna Riverlands, owned jointly by PPL Corporation (NYSE:PPL) and the...    more...  
Feb 28, 2010 Crumbling: The bumpy bottom line (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Ravenstahl mounted a paver to proclaim that the city would resurface 50 miles that year. Costa said the 2nd Division got less city asphalt because the state tended to do more paving in that area. Since then, the city has been buying asphalt from New Castle-based Lindy Paving Inc. Mr.    more...  
Feb 28, 2010 Marcellus shale could be a book or bane for land owners (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) That would be Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy (NYSE:CHK) , with 1.6 million acres. The competition for natural gas in the shale is a competition for land. Partin said, and he pushed for $5,000 per acre with a 20 percent royalty. "But my neighbors were very eager to sign for that amount.    more...  
Feb 28, 2010 Marcellus by-product (The Philadelphia Inquirer) Brown represented a group of landowners in the transaction. The Marcellus discovery also has drawn the attention of out-of-state lawyers. There is enough gas in Marcellus, according to one estimate, to supply all of the nation's gas-consumption needs for the next 20 years. The landowners allege...    more...  
Feb 28, 2010 2nd Feb. blizzard blasts weary Greater Hazleton (Standard-Speaker) He spent an hour clearing the driveway and his sidewalks at Maple and Pine streets. Eileen Resetar braved the snowy roads to get to a job in the office of Dr. Stephen Schleicher just to notify patients that they should stay home because of the snow. Blowing snow will continue to pile up drifts...    more...  
Feb 27, 2010 Identity theft leads consumer gripes list (Reading Eagle) Smith said she now lives in fear someone could do it again. The ad was taken down and the fraud was reported. But a few days later a man knocked on her door.    more...  
Feb 27, 2010 Home and Garden Show celebrates potential (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) Morinville is founder of Energy Independent Solutions of Robinson, a firm that installs modules to capture sunlight for photovoltaic energy.    more...  
Feb 27, 2010 Change in the wind at Steel Pier? (The Philadelphia Inquirer) Proponents focus on strong coastal gusts and the potential for clean energy. That same proposal also allows for a pilot wind project in state waters off Atlantic City. The turbines would go up at least 21/2 miles from the shore but within the state's three-mile jurisdiction. Those plans are in...    more...  
Feb 27, 2010 Change in the wind at Steep Pier? (The Philadelphia Inquirer) Proponents focus on strong coastal gusts and the potential for clean energy. That same proposal also allows for a pilot wind project in state waters off Atlantic City. The turbines would go up at least 21/2 miles from the shore but within the state's three-mile jurisdiction. Those plans are in...    more...  
Feb 26, 2010 Winter storm blows through Lebanon Valley (Lebanon Daily News) Lebanon Mayor Sherry Capello declared a snow emergency that went into effect at 10 p.m. Thursday. These tanks can provide you with clear water after initial sediment is flushed out. You can also use this water to flush toilets. * Use fireplaces and portable heaters with extreme care.    more...  
Feb 26, 2010 The Philadelphia Inquirer Al Heavens column: Your Place (The Philadelphia Inquirer) Check for air leaks throughout your home; look around doors, windows, fixtures, electrical outlets, wiring, plumbing, and fireplace dampers. Damp blades attract dust. Windows: For streak-free glass, apply cleaner to windows with a slightly dampened sponge. Wipe across the window with a dampened...    more...  
Feb 26, 2010 2 sue Allegheny Energy over sale plan (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) Those steps include making Allegheny Energy subject to a $150 million termination fee.    more...  
Feb 26, 2010 Aqua earnings grow for 10th straight year (The Philadelphia Inquirer) ...was cool weather, which Aqua America Inc. (NYSE:WTR) , the Bryn Mawr water purveyor, blamed for most of last year's 4 percent to 5 percent drop in the volume of water sold. "We're waiting for this global warming to help our long-term sales," chief executive officer Nicholas DeBenedictis...    more...  
Feb 26, 2010 Cheswick coal plant upgrade may raise lead emissions (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Osborne. "The Health Department hasn't done any modeling to determine the effect of such an emissions increase. A copy of the permit, identified in Health Department records as permit IP 0054-1004a, is available by calling 412-578-8191.    more...  
Feb 26, 2010 EDITORIAL (The Philadelphia Inquirer) The question of where to dispose nuclear waste hasn't been answered. They need to understand that Three Mile Island and Chernobyl weren't the only reasons America stopped building nuclear plants. Nor was the lack of a repository for nuclear waste.    more...  
Feb 26, 2010 Buffalo poised to approve underwriting of water plant upgrade (The Valley News-Dispatch) Walters, however, said the term of the loan was only 20 years.    more...  
Feb 26, 2010 CMU researchers gauge water use in supply chain, push conservation (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) ...water use through the supply chain in certain industries, said Hendrickson, co-director of Carnegie Mellon's Green Design Institute. They found that "direct" water use constitutes just a fraction of the total water use when delivering a product to market, Hendrickson said. "For example,...    more...  
Feb 26, 2010 2009 Resident Artists Projects portfolio has broad influence (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) Artists Image Resource staff and artists process the image elements (make screens) and execute the printing. There's a subtlety to the layers that builds the imagery." Completing the show, each artist created two prints each for a "2009 Portfolio" that represents the year's activities. Each...    more...  
Feb 25, 2010 Crescent landfill reported as hazard (Beaver County Times) Phillips Power Plant in South Heights as one of 31 coal ash dumps across the nation that pose a hazard to drinking water, rivers or streams. The Environmental Integrity Project and Earthjustice, two nonprofit environmental organizations, reported the landfill in Crescent Township is leaching...    more...  
Feb 25, 2010 Online bill payments pushed (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) In 2008, the company saved 2,150 tons of paper by eliminating 97 million paper bills. Younger customers, especially, "almost prefer to handle customer service online.    more...  
Feb 25, 2010 Union's new stadium sure to have electric atmosphere (Philadelphia Daily News) ...the SportsBusiness Journal, PPL Park will, according to the energy company, become the first stadium in Major League Soccer to run completely on renewable energy, which will derive from projects either owned or contracted in Pennsylvania by PPL and its primary subsidary, PPL EnergyPlus. The...    more...  
Feb 25, 2010 2 companies called polluters (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) The former Duquesne Light Co. (OOTC:DQUEK) plant was decommissioned in 2002. --RRI's Fern Valley landfill in Jefferson. The site has been used for coal ash disposal for 56 years, but the environmentalists allege RRI's predecessors never secured a permit for the early disposal of the substance.    more...  
Feb 25, 2010 Appliances excluded from state's rebate program (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) Forty-four states opted to make new, energy-efficient appliances eligible for rebates under the so-called Cash for Appliances program. We'll get a much better value (in energy savings) by making it just for the heating systems," Hanger said.    more...  
Feb 24, 2010 State auditor criticizes city's record keeping (Lebanon Daily News) It is distributed based on a formula that takes into account a municipality's population and the miles of non-state roads it maintains. The money can be used only for road and bridge maintenance, such as the recent snow cleanup, road equipment and materials. The city was reprimanded for using...    more...  
Feb 24, 2010 The Philadelphia Inquirer Inga Saffron column: Phila. firm will design U.S. Embassy in London (The Philadelphia Inquirer) This is only the fourth time the foreign service has held such a competition to select an embassy architect. Their design is a perfect glass cube set in a circular park. There are no fences." Visitors, however, will still have to pass through a screening pavilion before entering the embassy lobby.    more...  
Feb 24, 2010 Appliance rebates: Gas and go (Reading Eagle) ...home heating appliances such as heaters, oil burners, boilers and gas water heaters. Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states not issuing rebates or credits for electric appliances. That's because the state's major electricity suppliers already are offering rebate and recycling programs to...    more...  
Feb 24, 2010 Phila. firm will design U.S. Embassy in London (The Philadelphia Inquirer) This is only the fourth time the foreign service has held such a competition to select an embassy architect. Their design is a perfect glass cube set in a circular park. There are no fences." Visitors, however, will still have to pass through a screening pavilion before entering the embassy lobby.    more...  
Feb 24, 2010 EDITORIAL: Real dollars (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) ...and dams, improve housing or help businesses. All told, the dollars in Pennsylvania have translated into 12,000 jobs so far. Allegheny County had its own benefits: $105 million for transportation, $26 million for energy projects, $115 million for school districts, $15 million for water and...    more...  
Feb 24, 2010 $2.7M federal grant to help Fayette County land 'green' jobs (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) Poverty program, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Fayette's program will be administered through the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette Inc. The money is to be used to train people for jobs in the fields of energy efficiency and renewable energy. In Fayette, those fields...    more...  
Feb 24, 2010 Worries about First Energy-Allegheny Energy merger persist (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) About 775 of the union's members work for Allegheny Energy in Pennsylvania.    more...  
Feb 23, 2010 Lease focus of suit vs. energy company (The Times Leader) ...lease the oil and gas rights to the land and, on the same day, submitted offers to Fortuna for the higher bonus and royalty. RedSky contacted Joseph Lombardo on Nov. 6 requesting help in processing the lease agreements with Chesapeake for payment, and the Lombardos' counsel by phone and...    more...  
Feb 23, 2010 New water runoff agreement in works with Chambersburg Borough, DEP (Public Opinion) We want to fix the problem," council President William McLaughlin said after the meeting. The borough and DEP were at odds with a couple of points raised during negotiations. The agreement proposed by DEP also had no termination date. When talks between the two parties start to fall apart,...    more...  
Feb 23, 2010 Conservation group scores legislators on environmental votes (Erie Times-News) Bob Casey, of Scranton, had a perfect history of supporting policies that conservationists said safeguard the environment. Others, like Rep.    more...  
Feb 23, 2010 Siemens to refund $468,750 to state (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Tartibi said the decision last spring to restructure the remaining fuel cell business came as a last resort, following an unsuccessful nine-month effort to sell the business. Siemens plans to continue to evaluate the fuel cell business, he said. In the bigger picture, Mr. Tartibi noted in his...    more...  
Feb 23, 2010 EDITORIAL: Power of support (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) If their answer is climate change, they need to rethink their position and move beyond one company's unhelpful behavior. The United States has 104 nuclear power plants. It is recognizing that nuclear energy has an important role to play. It had previously pulled the plug on Nevada's Yucca...    more...  
Feb 23, 2010 Company's system purifies liquid in Marcellus Shale drilling (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) The installation at Berdell's natural gas well is treating waste water for $5 a barrel.    more...