SALENA ZITO: THE UNSUNG HERO OF THE ROLLING THUNDER MINE The states currently part of RGGI are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia all decidedly blue states whose energy costs soared after joining the initiative. Pittsburgh Works Together, a building trade organization headquartered in Western Pennsylvania, points to a new study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which documented that every state in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative had higher electricity prices than Pennsylvania. The deal gave Republicans lower costs and relief for the state’s powerful energy industry, and it gave Shapiro a chance to champion that industry while neutralizing GOP talking points ahead of his reelection bid. “For years, the Republicans who have led the Senate have used RGGI as an excuse to stall substantive conversations about energy production. Today, that excuse is gone,” Shapiro said at his press conference last week after the budget was finalized. “It is time now to look forward, and I’m looking forward to aggressively pushing for policies that create more jobs in the energy sector, bring more clean energy onto our grid, and reduce the cost of energy for all Pennsylvanians,” he added. RGGI was never a Shapiro thing. He inherited it from Gov. Tom Wolf, a York County Democrat, who in 2019 issued an order seeking to join RGGI. It didn’t go over well. The order was challenged in court and has dragged on for years. Kim Ward, a Westmoreland County Republican and the state Senate president pro tempore, said in a statement that leaving the program “will give Pennsylvania families more certainty with their electricity rates.” Climate activists were less than thrilled. Lena Moffitt, the executive director of Evergreen Action, said Shapiro was elected to be a fighter who would not back down, but instead, he caved to Republican obstructionism. Luke Bernstein, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, said the budget agreement offered significant victories for businesses, beginning with permitting reform and the state’s exit from RGGI, “something that will provide much-needed clarity and encourage energy development and investment.” SALENA ZITO: TRUMP EXPLAINS HOW CHARLIE KIRK’S MURDER CHANGED HIS LIFE The latest energy employment data for Pennsylvania from the Department of Energy show that there are 273, 364 energy workers statewide, representing 3. 4% of all U. S. energy jobs. Of these energy jobs, 21, 580 were in electric power generation, 48, 405 in fuels, 51, 437 in transmission, distribution, and storage, 69, 990 in energy efficiency, and 81, 952 in motor vehicles. The Keystone State’s energy sector represents nearly 5% of total state employment. By steering Pennsylvania out of RGGI, Shapiro showed the kind of pragmatism and independence voters rarely see in politics today.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/3892333/regional-greenhouse-gas-initiative-never-good-fit-pennsylvania-josh-shapiro/
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Acadia is winding down for winter just as the government might reopen
Though the federal shutdown could soon end, operations at Acadia National Park are expected to continue winding down for the winter.
The U.S. House of Representatives was expected to meet Wednesday to vote on ending the 43-day-long shutdown, but winter weather has taken precedence over the potential reopening of Maine’s only national park. On Veterans Day, snow led the park to close Summit Road on Cadillac Mountain, according to the park’s website.
Acadia does not require reservations for driving up the summit starting in November, but how late in the season the road remains open depends on weather conditions. The road may reopen before the end of the month if warmer weather melts away the ice and snow; however, it is typically closed for the winter each December 1.
Despite the shutdown, Acadia was busy in early October when the tourist season was still in full swing. Some facilities were closed due to reduced staffing caused by the shutdown, but popular attractions such as the summit of Cadillac Mountain, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and the Jordan Pond House remained open.
The fare-free Island Explorer Bus System, which is operated by the nonprofit group Downeast Transportation, also continued to operate during the shutdown.
Visitation to Acadia has been high this year and was on pace to exceed four million visits for only the second time ever, after first surpassing four million in 2021. The park recorded its highest number of visits for any month in July 2023, then broke that record in August.
However, the park has not released monthly visit estimates for September (before the shutdown went into effect on October 1) and has not been collecting visitation data since that date. As a result, visitation estimates for October are not expected.
Typically, visitation drops sharply in November, although the park never fully closes for the winter. The Ocean Drive section of Park Loop Road usually remains open to vehicles year-round, as do the park’s hiking trails. Additionally, the Schoodic Loop Road in the Schoodic section of the park, located on the east side of Frenchman Bay, is open throughout the winter.
The Visitors’ Center in Hulls Cove will remain closed regardless of shutdown developments, as it normally closes at the end of October. The Sieur de Monts Nature Center and the Rockefeller Welcome Center at Schoodic Point are also not expected to reopen until next spring.
Park campgrounds shut down each October, and facilities run by concession companies—including the Jordan Pond House, the Thunder Hole Gift Shop, and Wildwoods Stables—have also closed for the winter season.
https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/11/12/hancock/hancock-government/acadia-winter-operations-wind-down-n6hjn1me0n/