Wolf

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday proposed for the third time a severance tax on natural gas production to help plug yet another structural budget deficit that’s projected to be $3 billion in the state’s next fiscal year, which begins in July.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday nominated the state Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) acting Secretary Patrick McDonnell to serve permanently in the role.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf visited Pittsburgh on Friday to meet with lawmakers, business leaders and other stakeholders, as his administration begins to escalate its role in helping to fortify the economic development that’s expected to stem from Royal Dutch Shell plc’s decision to build a multi-billion dollar ethane cracker in the state.

As Pennsylvania’s House and Senate leaders continued to negotiate over ways to fund a $31.5 billion state budget on Tuesday, the severance tax on natural gas production proposed earlier this year by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf was not among the options being discussed.

The Pennsylvania Senatethis week confirmed Democratic Gov.Tom Wolf’s former energy adviser,David Sweet, to serve on the state Public Utility Commission (PUC) 49-0. Wolf nominated Sweet to the commissioner’s seat in May. He joined Wolf’s administration in April 2015 to focus on energy and economic development issues. It’s unclear whether Wolf intends to replace Sweet. “David’s extensive background in economic development and finance will lend itself well to the commission’s work and its mission, balancing the needs of consumers and utilities,” said PUC Chairwoman Gladys Brown.

A questionable email and strained relationships with his boss and lawmakers are thought to be among the reasons Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary John Quigley abruptly resigned his position late Friday, deepening turmoil within the state’s top oil and gas regulatory agency.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration last week announced that Secretary of Policy and Planning John Hangerhas resigned his position. A former secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection, which regulates the oil and gas industry, and a one-time candidate for governor, Hanger was selected for the role by Wolf in December 2014 (see Shale Daily,Dec. 11, 2014). The administration said Hanger was resigning to spend more time with his wife and daughter, both of whom live in Massachusetts. “It is difficult to leave, but I cannot be in two places at once,” Hanger said. “Commuting regularly to and from Massachusetts and doing my demanding job has become impossible.” Hanger served as DEP secretary from 2008-2011 under former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell. Hanger ran against Wolf in the 2014 Democratic primary race, but withdrew two months before the vote. Like Wolf, he supported enacting a natural gas severance tax in the state. The administration said Hanger would be replaced by Sarah Galbally, who has served as deputy secretary of policy and planning.

Pennsylvania’s leading oil and gas trade groups on Wednesday renewed their commitment to fighting Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s latest proposal to enact a severance tax on production, saying operators can’t absorb more costs during the downturn and repeating that there can’t be a compromise.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday continued to push for broad spending increases that would be funded by a suite of new taxes, renewing a proposal during his 2016-2017 budget address that calls for a 6.5% severance tax on natural gas production.