Regulatory Reform

Political obstructionism in the energy marketplace in Massachusetts led to predictable results during a cold snap earlier this winter: the cost of generating electricity increased so much that heat and power almost disappeared.

Governor Wolf got some election-year publicity last week with his decree that overtime pay should apply to tens of thousands of additional workers. Highlighting the stories was a catchy, but misleading phrase, the governor used in his announcement: “It’s simple,” he said, “if you work overtime, then you should get paid fairly for it.” Actually, it’s not all that simple.

Governor Wolf’s announcement last summer that he was assembling a pipeline task force came with certain assurances. The Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force (PITF) would not masquerade as a pretext for burying the oil and gas industry under more regulations. Rather, it was understood that the PITF would identify best practices for expediting the needed lines, and streamline the pre-construction regulatory and permitting process that, along with battling citizens’ groups, can take four to five times as long as the actual construction.