Statewide PA

Last week, we brought you several posts about a “summit” (a blaming and bullying session) convened by one of the biggest bullies on the political scene today, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, to complain about high electricity prices in the PJM Interconnection grid (see Gov. Shapiro Convenes Gang to Blame PJM Grid for His Policies). Shapiro and some of his fellow governors in PJM are blaming the grid operator, alleging mismanagement, for high prices. As we pointed out, PJM is nothing more than the equivalent of an air traffic controller (see GOP State Senators Respond to PA Gov. Shapiro’s Bash PJM Summit). Read More “PJM Appoints 2 Board Members, Thumbs Nose at Gov’s Political Picks”

Yesterday, we told you about comments made by several governors from states covered by the PJM electric grid delivered to a bash PJM summit organized by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (see Governors Pile on Bashing PJM Grid, Including Va.’s Youngkin). The governors are being blamed for high energy prices and feeling the heat, so they’re looking for a scapegoat. We told you that it is their own policies of pursuing unreliable renewable energy and imposing excessive regulations on the energy industry that are causing these high prices, not incompetent management by PJM. Two PA State Senators agree and issued their own comments to respond to Shapiro and the other bashers. Read More “GOP State Senators Respond to PA Gov. Shapiro’s Bash PJM Summit”

PJM Interconnection is the electrical grid operator serving Pennsylvania, as well as parts of 12 other states and the District of Columbia. For months, the Democrat governors of PJM states have been criticizing PJM, blaming the grid operator for higher electricity prices, even though their own policies are driving electricity prices higher (see Democrats Try to Demonize PJM Elec. Grid for THEIR Failed Policies). Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has been the worst of the worst, acting like a petulant child in a temper tantrum, threatening to leave PJM (see PA Gov. Shapiro Gets Uppity with PJM, Threatens to Leave the Grid). PJM eventually caved to Shapiro’s demand to artificially cap the price now, meaning higher prices and potential blackouts down the road (see PJM Grid Caves to PA Gov. Shapiro Bullying, Blackout Risk Rises). Shapiro kept up his gamesmanship yesterday by convening representatives from all 13 states and other “stakeholders” to bash away once again against PJM. Read More “Gov. Shapiro Convenes Gang to Blame PJM Grid for His Policies”

This post is not directly about the Marcellus/Utica, but the issue we discuss is important and significantly affects the M-U. Andrew Dehoff, the Executive Director of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), is sounding the alarm about potential water usage for hyperscale data centers that will be located in the SRBC’s jurisdiction. Dehoff spoke at a Pennsylvania State Senate hearing on Monday. These giant data centers are BIG users of energy and, potentially, big users of water. The water is used not only to cool gas-fired power plants that generate energy for the data centers, but the data centers themselves use water to help cool the thousands upon thousands of computers located in them. Read More “SRBC Sounds the Alarm on Enormous Water Use for AI Data Centers”