Statewide PA

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is a typical liberal Democrat politician. He pretends to be moderate and a supporter of the Marcellus industry in the Keystone State. He is neither. Shapiro claims his proposed energy programs will cut costs for Pennsylvanians. The reverse is true. But we’re not just making blanket unprovable assertions or opinions about Shapiro’s energy plans. We have the receipts to prove that what he wants for the state vis-à-vis energy is a disaster for residents. Read More “Gov. Shapiro’s Energy Policies Will Cost Pennsylvanians Big Money”

As we reported two days ago, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, acting like a junkie cut off from his drugs, finally got the Trump administration to restart the flow of drugs (i.e., money) that had been paused to give Elon Musk’s DOGErs a chance to ensure the payments are legit (see PA Gov. Claims Victory in Un-Pausing $2B in Energy-Related Pymts). Much of the money was earmarked for environmental programs. No sooner had the spigots reopened than Shapiro and his Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) began advertising that they have $396 million burning a hole in their pockets. Read More “PA DEP Can’t Wait to Give Away $396M of “Restored” $2.1B from Feds”

We explored an important issue last September—the ballooning cost of plugging orphaned oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania (see PA DEP Spending WAY Too Much to Plug Abandoned/Orphaned Wells). As a reminder, abandoned wells are those with no production for at least 12 months in a row. Orphaned wells were abandoned before 1985, and the owner is unknown, so the responsibility for plugging them rests with the state. The problem is that when the state runs the program and must conform to federal employment regulations (to use federal funds), the per-well cost to plug wells goes through the roof. The cost PA is paying (continues to pay) to plug wells is roughly five times as much as other states. What the heck is going on? Read More “PA DEP Still Spends 5X More to Plug Orphaned Wells Than Other States”

The Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee held a budget hearing yesterday in Harrisburg. The Department of Environmental Protection’s Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley was on the hot seat. Although many topics were discussed, Senators were most interested in speeding permit reviews, Governor Shapiro’s Lightning Energy Plan, and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax Shapiro insists on inflicting on the state. A key topic that caught our attention was a call for Shirley to fire “intractable” DEP employees. The discussion echoed DOGE (the Department of Government Efficiency headed by Elon Musk). Read More “PA Senate Budget Hearing Discusses Firing Some DEP Employees”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, himself a swampy career politician, has nominated another swampy career politician to stop “Acting” and become the full Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Jessica Shirley, with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in public administration, has been Interim Acting Secretary of the DEP since October 2023 when Shapiro’s first DEP Secretary, Rich Negrin, suddenly left due to health issues (see PA DEP Sec. Negrin Resigning Dec. 8 – On Medical Leave Until Then). Shirley is a lifer, working in Harrisburg government positions (run by Democrats) since she graduated from college. Read More “PA Gov. Nominates Swamper to Stop “Acting,” Become DEP Secretary”