Chamber

Members of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett’s cabinet were joined by supporters from the state’s general assembly and local and regional officials Thursday at the Community College of Beaver County in Monaca, PA, to lobby for construction of a petrochemical complex, including an ethane cracker, in the southwestern Pennsylvania borough.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), who has been at the forefront of the chamber’s efforts to address cyber vulnerabilities involving the nation’s critical infrastructure, sent a letter to the American Gas Association (AGA) Thursday expressing concern about a recent report that said AGA-developed standards to protect data transmitted by control systems were abandoned because of the costs.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), who has been at the forefront of the chamber’s efforts to address cyber vulnerabilities involving the nation’s critical infrastructure, sent a letter to the American Gas Association (AGA) Thursday expressing concern about a recent report that AGA-developed standards to protect data transmitted by control systems from attacks were abandoned because of the costs.

The Pennsylvania state Senate met briefly Tuesday before adjourning until Jan. 17, but it did not discuss legislation to impose a fee on unconventional natural gas drilling. Until the Senate takes action on House Bill 1950 the legislation cannot proceed to a conference committee for a process where members of both chambers and both parties will hammer out differences. Although current lawmakers are in office until November, many have urged the General Assembly to pass something before Gov. Tom Corbett announces his budget priorities in early February. The six-member committee would include three senators and three representatives, with two members of each chamber coming from the majority party and one coming from the minority.

It’s all about not standing in the way of cheap energy, economic growth, jobs and energy security, according to more than 100 groups representing U.S. industry, from North Dakota grain growers to Dow Chemical to the Ohio Bowling Association, that petitioned Tuesday to keep the federal government from erecting barriers to hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

The U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy last Tuesday unveiled a five-part plan to tackle the major energy challenges outlined by business and community leaders.

The U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy Tuesday unveiled a five-part plan to tackle the major energy challenges cited by business and community leaders.

With its “top hat” oil collection chamber waiting on the sea floor as a standby measure, BP plc on Friday was about to attempt a more promising tactic to siphon some of the oil leaking from its ruptured well 5,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM).

With its “top hat” oil collection chamber waiting on the sea floor as a standby measure, BP plc on Friday was about to attempt a more promising tactic to siphon some of the oil leaking from its ruptured well 5,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM).