Day: March 2, 2012

Credit Republicans If Refineries Are Saved

Credit Republicans If Refineries Are Saved — A state cabinet member told the House Appropriations Committee, Feb. 27, that there is a strong likelihood that two of the three Philadelphia area refineries scheduled for shut-down may be saved.

C. Alan Walker, secretary of Department of Commerce and Economic Development, told the legislators that an angel in form of United Refining Co. of Warren, Pa. may be interested in buying the Sunoco ones in Philadelphia and Marcus Hook.
Apparently a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes. Note the work appears to be being done by the Republican Corbett administration.
Hopefully, someone can be found to find save the idled ConocoPhillips plant in Trainer.
It might be bargain. If the administration changes in Washington, relief would be expected from the regulatory burdens largely responsible for its closure that had been imposed by the religious zealots who have taken over the Obama-run EPA.

Interesting Fact Of The Day


L.L. Bean still sells wooden snowshoes.

Power Plants To Close In Pa. And Life Gets Harder

Power Plants To Close In Pa. And Life Gets Harder — Put this in the life gets harder file: Houston-based GenOn Energy Inc. will be closing five power plants in Pennsylvania which are in Portland, Shawville, Titus, New Castle and Elrama.

The plants provide 3,140 megawatts of electricity. They are fired by coal, however, and that is why they are closing. New environmental rules make them unprofitable for them to operate.
GenOn is also closing two coal-plants in Ohio and one in New Jersey.
Now there is nothing wrong with trying to wean ourselves off of coal for electricity and on to something else, but if that something else is windmills or solar panels just expect our lives to get harder unless of course you are one of the privileged few in government who will find ways to exempt themselves from the suffering they cause.
The combined megawatts from the plants to be close is about what a larger nuclear plant would generate.
Of course, nobody is talking about building one of them in Pennsylvania.