Changes

Hearings on the bills were scheduled to begin March 12, 2009.<ref name="ccs"/> As of August 2009, HB 80 was still being debated heavily in the House, and had attracted 30 amendments to satisfy competing interests.<ref>Diane Mastrull, [http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2009/08/09/4314889.htm "In Pa. House, heavy debate over clean-energy bill,"] Philly.com, August 9, 2009.</ref>

In March 2011, Gov. [[Tom Corbett]] introduced language in his 1,184-page budget that would hand authority to the head of the Department of Community and Economic Development - C. Alan Walker - to “expedite any permit or action pending in any agency where the creation of jobs may be impacted.” Walker is CEO and owner of Bradford Energy Company and Bradford Coal, once among Pennsylvania’s largest coal mining companies, who also has an interest in 12 other companies, including a central Pennsylvania oil and gas company. Walker has contributed $184,000 to Corbett’s campaign efforts since 2004, and was Corbett’s first appointee before taking office in 2010.<ref name=nk>Nicholas Kusnetz and Joaquin Sapien, [http://www.alternet.org/environment/150201/say_what_pa_governor_gives_energy_executive_supreme_authority_over_environmental_permitting?page=entire "Say What? PA Governor Gives Energy Executive Supreme Authority Over Environmental Permitting"] AlterNet, March 10, 2011.</ref>