The Facts about Fracking and Physicians
APRIL 19, 2012 | by KATRINA CURRIE
Yesterday's statement by the Pennsylvania Medical Society President Marilyn Heine should put to rest the recent panic over a provision in Act 13—the newly enacted Marcellus Shale legislation (HB 1950)—addressing physicians' access to chemical information used during hydraulic fracturing. Dr. Heine stated [emphases added]: As physicians, our first priority is the health of our patients.
Marcellus Shale: Pennsylvania's Manna From Heaven
APRIL 4, 2012 | by KATRINA CURRIE
Yesterday, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Pennsylvania Chemical Industry Council hosted a forum on the benefits of natural gas for Pennsylvania's manufacturing sector. David Taylor of the PA Manufacturers' Association commented that Marcellus Shale is the closest thing Pennsylvania will get to "manna from heaven." On top of creating tens of thousands of jobs in Marcellus Shale related industries, lowering utility bills, and generating fortunes for farmers, workers and small-business owners, shale drilling is he
Fighting Fiction with Fracking Facts
MARCH 13, 2012 | by KATRINA CURRIE
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking to Tea Party Patriots of Central Pa on environmental aspects of natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania and new Marcellus Shale regulations and taxes in Act 13 (formerly House Bill 1950). I was joined by the talented journalist and documentary filmmaker Ann McElhinney - she produced Not Evil Just Wrong, a response to Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth.
Who Wants to Pay More for Electricity?
MARCH 6, 2012 | by KATRINA CURRIE
A new study by the Manhattan Institute confirms that forcing states to purchase renewable energy hurts taxpayers. Pennsylvania is one of the 29 states (as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) that has a renewable energy standard -- Pennsylvania calls it an "Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard." These mandates force utility companies to produce a percentage of their electricity from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar.
Utility Rates Drop Again Thanks to Marcellus Drilling
MARCH 5, 2012 | by KATRINA CURRIE
Natural gas drilling is continuing to provide significant savings for Pennsylvania families across the state through lower electricity and natural gas prices. Last week, PPL Electric Utilities, servicing eastern Pennsylvania, dropped its residential rates nearly 11 percent. As the Philadelphia Inquirer explains, customers using 1,000 kWh a month will save $8.
Energy 101
Pennsylvania has always been a leading provider of America's energy. From timber and coal to the nation's first commercial oil well, and now the Marcellus Shale boom, traditional energy is vital to our state's economy.
But these industries, and the prosperity that accompanied them, are now threatened because they have become politically unpopular. Instead of entrepreneurship and the responsible development of natural resources, today's energy companies are rewarded on the basis of their lobbying.
EnergyFactsPA, a project of the Commonwealth Foundation, provides a guide to the key energy and environmental issues facing Pennsylvania.
