Federal Grant to Move Region's Solar Power Forward from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A mish-mash of fragmented, confusing and costly municipal regulations and a lack of funding options to mitigate installation costs has hurt solar power installation more than a lack of sunshine, said Sharon Pillar, program manager for PennFuture's solar programs in Western Pennsylvania. Ms. Pillar said a $315,697 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, announced at a news conference Downtown Wednesday, will be used to remove those barriers and reduce costs through PennFuture's Three Rivers Solar Source project and a coalition of commissions and environmental and business development organizations, Allegheny County and 23 municipalities."

City Officials Weigh How Much to Spend on City Infrastructure from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"Pittsburgh Public Works Director Rob Kaczorowski can't figure out why anyone would oppose the city borrowing $80 million to help shore up its crumbling infrastructure. "I just don't get it," says Kaczorowski. "Let me assure you, I can spend $80 million all by myself on things that need done, and then get back in line for more. That's how many issues need to be addressed."

EPA Criticizes State for Shale Air Pollution Rules from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has strongly criticized Pennsylvania's new policy guidelines for regulating air pollutants emitted by Marcellus Shale gas wells and development sites located in close proximity to one another."

Allegheny County Dems Raise Taxes 21 Percent to Save Services from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 
"Allegheny County Council's decision on Tuesday to increase property taxes by 21 percent aims to stave off sharp cuts in human service programs for children and the elderly as well as a proposed tuition hike at the community college."

Group Wants More Energy Grants: Report Chastises State for Not Subsidizing Clean Energy Development from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pennsylvania is providing $2.9 billion a year in subsidies to fossil fuel industries but not offering similar government supports and incentives to cleaner, renewable energy development, according to a report released Tuesday by the PennFuture Energy Center for Enterprise and the Environment."

Range Sees Marcellus Production Double in 2011 from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Range Resources Corp. announced Wednesday morning that its production levels in the Marcellus Shale have doubled this year."

Welcome to the Pittsburgh Business Times Morning Edition from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Our newest blog is designed to bring you a selection of the most important business headlines from around the region, so you can start your day with the information you need without spending a lot of time sifting through the mountain of news reporting that’s out there today."

Major Cause of Downturn: Failure to Help Homeowners from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"For a country that fell into a recession primarily because of a collapse in the housing market, the two experts say, America has done a lousy job of coming up with a plan to revitalize home ownership. National statistics show how persistent the slump is."

Recession Hit Blacks Hard: Housing Equity Has Plummeted, Taking Families' Wealth with It from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Most Americans' chief source of wealth is the equity in their homes, but the recent housing collapse has hit minorities particularly hard. Between 2005 and 2009, the median home equity value for black Americans fell from $76,910 to $59,000, a drop of nearly a quarter, according to the Pew Research Center."

Did Fracking Kill Dunkard Creek? from Salon
"After oil and gas extraction arrived in southwest Pennsylvania, a massive fill kill occurred."

Learning Too Late of the Perils in Gas Well Leases from the New York Times
"Americans have signed millions of leases allowing companies to drill for oil and natural gas on their land in recent years. But some of these landowners — often in rural areas, and eager for quick payouts — are finding out too late what is, and what is not, in the fine print."

Oil Boom Puts Strain On North Dakota Towns (AUDIO) (John McChesney) from NPR's Morning Edition
""They're consuming all of our resources," he says. "They're consuming all of our people looking for jobs. All the employee base is used up. Our roads system is being used up. All our water is being used up. All our sewage systems are being used up. [They're] overwhelmed. All of our leadership time as local public officials is consumed with this.""

Marcellus Violations Rise in Region: Browse Them Here from the Energy Inc. blog at the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The latest violations data from Marcellus wells in Pennsylvania has been posted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. And here’s the damage: ... Last year during the same period of time, operators with wells in southwestern counties clocked 18 violations, so this year’s tally is an substantial increase."

Southwestern Pa. Colleges Wary of Gas Leases from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"Southwestern Pennsylvania colleges don't appear to be following the lead of two West Virginia schools that have signed lease agreements with an energy company to drill their land for Marcellus shale."

Urban Youth Action Stays Alive from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"“The Board of UYA has agreed to work with us, alumni and friends to bring UYA back better than ever. The meeting was a success,” he said. “Both the Board and the Family agreed that we must do whatever we can to save this powerful program for the youth.”"

Salts From Drilling, a Drinking Water Danger, Still Showing Up in Rivers from Essential Public Radio [of Pittsburgh]
"Bromides come from many places, including sea water, coal-fired power plants, and chemicals. But the Ohio’s spike in bromide occured three years ago, and Blaskovich thinks that’s no coincidence. “That’s when deep drilling for gas sort of took off in this area of the country,” he says."

Board Closes 7 Schools from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"On Nov. 22, the Pittsburgh Public School District Board of Directors approved a slew of plans aimed at reducing the district’s projected 2012 budget deficit of $21.7 million. Among them were the elimination of single-gendered classes at the Academy at Westinghouse and the sale of two school buildings. Also approved in the package was the district’s realignment plan, which will see the closure of seven more schools and the elimination of 400 positions in the district. This includes the merger of Perry High School and Oliver High School, along with the merger of Brashear High School and Langley High School."

Occupy Pittsburgh Winterizing from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Occupy Pittsburgh said Thursday that it is upgrading its physical site in Downtown Pittsburgh that will better prepare it for winter weather conditions."

No Financial Windfall but Plenty of Social Costs Come with Privatizing State Wine and Spirits Stores, Keystone Researchers Testify from the Keystone Research Center
"Privatizing Pennsylvania’s wine and spirits shops would not generate a large up-front fee but would cost the state at least $100 million annually, University of Michigan research scientist Roland Zullo told the Pennsylvania House Liquor Control Committee in hearings today at the Philadelphia Convention Center."
The Post-Gazette's coverage of this report is HERE.

Highmark vs. UPMC Leaves Subscribers Puzzled from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"One of the UPMC ads currently getting air time notes that "UPMC and Highmark saying goodbye to each other shouldn't mean losing your world-class health care" at UPMC hospitals. There are close to a thousand local attorneys worried that that's exactly what it means.