(PITTSBURGH, PA) –  Today, Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) and Allegheny County Executive, Rich Fitzgerald hosted Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and senior officials from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a meeting with regional stakeholders to discuss the future of manufacturing and decarbonization.

“Western Pennsylvania is poised to be a leader in building the clean economy of the future,” said Lamb.  “We have a combination of resources no one else has: steelmaking expertise, abundant natural gas, and world-class researchers at both NETL and the universities.  With the right investment this team can lead the world in low-carbon steel.”

“The work being done by the Biden Administration around energy, compliments our own focus on energy in this region over the past few years,” said Fitzgerald. “Those efforts, and those of Secretary Granholm, will move us towards a region which continues to lead on sustainable energy to produce a sustainable future.”

“When we look at the future of American manufacturing and decarbonizing our industrial sector, we see a way to advancing goals essential for our nation – securing our global competitiveness, keeping the American people safe, and investing in a more prosperous future.  Thanks to the work of Congressman Lamb and County Executive Fitzgerald to bring us all together, we can build a sustainable manufacturing base in America that can meet the demands of a thriving economy, give millions of Americans good-paying union jobs, and overcome the climate crisis,” said Granholm.

In Congress, as a member of the Energy Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Lamb has led efforts to address these issues.  Lamb led multiple provisions that were included in the Energy Act of 2020, which was signed into law in December of 2020, to develop the technology necessary to reduce the effects of climate change from the power and manufacturing sectors, including:

• Advanced the Clean Industrial Technology Act of 2019 (CITA), which established a cross-cutting research, development, demonstration, and commercial application program focused on reducing emissions from iron, steel, aluminum, cement, and chemical production;
• Supported provisions to expand the scope of the Loan Program Office (LPO) at the Department of Energy to include industrial applications, such as steelmaking;
• Served as lead cosponsor of H.R 4091, the ARPA-E Reauthorization Act, which doubled the funding authorization to explore cutting-edge research in the energy sector; and
• Served as lead cosponsor of H.R. 3607, the Fossil Energy Research and Development Act of 2019, which expanded carbon capture utilization and sequestration research and demonstration programs at the Department of Energy, including for industrial sources.

Under the leadership of the County Executive, Allegheny County has invested over $20 million in sustainable projects throughout the county since 2012 including the use of solar, a commitment to net zero parks, restoration of natural areas to address stormwater, increased focus on recycling and reducing waste, and the purchase of electric and natural gas vehicles.  Earlier this year, Fitzgerald announced an investment in locally generated clean energy that will build capacity for the region to move toward sustainable energy.  The 35-year power purchase agreement provides for renewable energy generated by a 17.8 MW low-impact hydropower facility to be constructed on the Ohio River.

Fitzgerald also continues to be a champion for the energy industry, including advocacy for the clean use of fossil fuels as the region explores and transitions to clean energy.

The meeting featured senior leaders from the DOE as well as Secretary Granholm, including officials from the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) which funds research and development projects to reduce the cost of advanced fossil energy technologies and further the sustainable use of the nation’s fossil resources; the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) which works to  create and sustain American leadership in the transition to a global clean energy economy; and the Loan Program Office (LPO) which provides debt financing for the commercial deployment of large-scale energy projects.

In April, the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE) announced $75 million in Federal funding for cost-shared research and development projects to accelerate technologies for the decarbonization of major industrial sectors, including the steel and natural gas industries – both critical for the economy and jobs in Western Pennsylvania.

In addition to the DOE leadership, meeting participants included local representatives from labor, academic, government, philanthropic and industry stakeholders.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing roadway improvement work on Route 151 (Gringo Road) in Hopewell Township, Beaver County will begin Monday, July 19 weather permitting.

(Wampum, Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle need the public to assist them in locating the driver of a vehicle that hit two other parked vehicles in Wampum on Wednesday Evening.

Troopers are reporting that they were call to Clyde Street in Wampum at 8:30 PM on Wednesday and upon arriving were told a 2018 Honda SRV owned by Ashley Hogan and 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe owned by Charlotte Householder were parked along Clyde Street near Main Street. The pair were attending a church meeting and when they came outside after the meeting they found that someone had side-swiped both vehicles causing a lot of damage them. The vehicle that hit their vehicles fled the area. Troopers stated in the release that the vehicle is possibly white in color and should have damage to the entire passenger side of the vehicle and the glass is missing out of the mirror. The paint on the white car from the damage should be maroon in color. Pa State Police in New Castle are asking anyone with information about the incident or the vehicle should contact them at 724-598-2211.

PARIS (AP) — The Eiffel Tower is reopening for the first time in nine months even though France is under new rules aimed at taming the coronavirus’ fast-spreading delta variant. The “Iron Lady” of Paris was ordered shut in October as France battled its second virus surge of the pandemic. The tower stayed shut for renovations even after most of the country’s major tourist draws reopened last month. This week, President Emmanuel Macron announced that COVID-19 passes would be required to enter restaurants and venues like the Eiffel Tower. Starting Wednesday, all visitors over age 18 will need to show a pass proving they’ve been fully vaccinated, had a negative virus test or recently recovered from COVID-19.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Penn State will impose its first tuition increase for incoming in-state undergraduate students since the 2017-18 school year. Under a plan approved by trustees on Thursday, incoming Pennsylvania resident students will see a 2.5% tuition increase at all campuses for the 2021-22 school year. At the University Park campus, that will mean a per-semester increase of $224, to $9,184, while the per-semester increase at the Commonwealth Campuses will range from $162 to $184, depending on the campus. Under the plan, out-of-state undergraduate students and all graduate students will see tuition increase by 2.75%. The student fee will remain flat for full-time students at the University Park campus.

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today lifted the moratorium on door-to-door, public event and in-person energy sales and marketing activities by PUC jurisdictional competitive energy suppliers (suppliers), which was put in place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.

Commissioners voted 4-0 to lift the current moratorium, which was put in place by virtue of the Commission’s March 16, 2020 Emergency Order (Emergency Order) prohibiting such sales and marketing activities.  Today’s action follows a 30-day public comment period initiated by the PUC in May on further modifying and eventually lifting the Emergency Order – and marks the fourth time in 16 months that the Commission has modified the Emergency Order.

In approving today’s Order, the Commission once again stipulated that suppliers engaging in door-to-door, public event, and in-person sales and marketing activities must continue to comply with relevant orders and guidance of the Governor and the Secretary of Health as well as all applicable PUC regulations and orders.

Additionally, the Commission continues to require jurisdictional suppliers to report their intent to resume door-to-door sales and marketing activities – including the general time period and geographic area in which the supplier will be active – to both the PUC’s Office of Competitive Market Oversight (OCMO) and Bureau of Consumer Services (BCS).

Similarly, jurisdictional suppliers are directed to report when they use a third-party vendor to perform door-to-door sales and marketing activities as part of their report under 52 Pa. Code § 111.14 to BCS.  These report requirements will remain in effect until Sept. 30, 2021, or unless lifted earlier by the Commission.

To increase awareness and compliance among the state’s supplier community, the Commission is also directing OCMO and BCS to issue a Secretarial Letter pertaining to the scheduling of training sessions on the resumption of door-to-door sales and marketing activities – to be offered to all electric general suppliers and natural gas suppliers under the Commission’s jurisdiction.

Today’s action marks the fourth time that the Commission has modified the March 16 Emergency Order.  By virtue of its June 4, 2020 Order, the PUC lifted the moratorium on in-person sales and marketing activities for activities at retail businesses open as a result of the Governor’s directives at that time.  Subsequently, on Dec. 3, 2020, the Commission permitted the resumption of energy sales and marketing at outdoor public events – and then in May granted a Petition for Partial Rescission of the Emergency Order and lifted the portion of the Emergency Order prohibiting suppliers from conducting in-person sales and marketing activities with commercial and industrial customers that are open as a result of orders or directives of the Governor and the Secretary of Health.

Photo and Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.) The Aliquippa School Board accepted the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Peter M. Carbone at Thursday night’s special meeting.  He reflected on his 26 year career in the district, as a teacher, football coach, assistant principal, principal, and district superintendent . He praised the district’s teachers for their work  over the last 17 months.