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Panda Hummel Power Plant Loses FERC Appeal re UGI Sunbury Pipeline

Here’s a challenge to a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) pipeline certificate we don’t fully comprehend. In 2018 the Panda Hummel Marcellus-fired power plant in Snyder County, PA roared to life (see Marcellus-Fired Panda Hummel Electric Plant Roars to Life in PA). Panda Hummel is one of the largest coal-to-gas conversion projects in the country, constructing a large 1,124-megawatt Marcellus gas-fired electric plant on the site of a retired coal-fired plant near Shamokin Dam in Snyder County. The plant is fed by a 34.4-mile pipeline built and maintained by UGI, called the Sunbury Pipeline (see UGI Ready to Begin Flowing Gas via $150M Sunbury Pipeline in PA). The Sunbury Pipeline was permitted under and is overseen by FERC. Yet now Panda Hummel is trying to rescind FERC’s authority over the pipeline, seeking to get the pipeline’s certificate to operate revoked. Why?
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PA PIPE Grants to Extend Gas Pipelines in Monroe, Snyder Counties

Pennsylvania’s Pipeline Investment Program (or PIPE) grants cover part of the cost for building new natural gas pipelines to connect homes and businesses, typically in rural parts of the state, to homegrown Marcellus Shale gas supplies. We’ve written about many of the more-than-a-dozen (so far) PIPE grant projects in the past (see our PIPE stories here). Two more PIPE grants totaling over $1 million have just been awarded–one in Synder County, the other in Monroe County.
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Fed Court Nixes Landowner Compensation Claims re UGI PA Pipeline

UGI Corp. has just won a case on appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit that overturns an order by a lower court ordering UGI to pay more than $380,000 combined to two sets of property owners for taking their land as part of the Sunbury Pipeline in Snyder County, PA. The landowners who sued used a so-called expert whose testimony was, according to the judges, “speculation and conjecture” and “not good science.” Therefore the lower court award was overturned.

2/14/20 Update: We spotted a second article that does a good job of reviewing this case and the rebuke the Third Circuit handed a lower court judge. Click to read it below.
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Out with the Old (Coal), in with the New (Natgas) @ Shamokin Dam

The former coal-fired power generation plant at left along the Susquehanna River in Shamokin Dam. At right is the new Panda gas-fired Hummel Station. (Credit: Sunbury Generation)

In July, MDN told you that Panda Power’s Marcellus gas-fired Hummel Station Power Plant, located at the Shamokin Dam along the Susquehanna River, is now “complete” and online (see Marcellus-Fired Panda Hummel PA Power Plant Now “Complete”). Hummel Station is a whopping 1,124-megawatt gas-fired electric plant built on the site of a retired coal-fired plant. The old coal plant is still there, sitting next door to the new gas-fired plant, closed down in 2014. The coal plant is set to be demolished–a process that will take up to two years due to asbestos throughout the plant. In a story about the old coal plant’s demolition, we were struck by the comparison between the coal plant and the gas plant. The old coal plant produced 400 megawatts of electricity, the new gas plant 1,124 MW. The new gas plant produces more than twice the power, but uses 97% less water than the coal plant. The new gas plant produces 90% less sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions than the old coal plant. On and on. The differences are striking! No wonder gas is replacing coal…
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Marcellus-Fired Panda Hummel PA Power Plant Now “Complete”

It takes a long time to build a natural gas-fired electric power plant–especially a big one. We began writing about one of the largest coal-to-gas conversion projects in the country, happening in the heart of PA Marcellus country, back in February 2014 (see Panda Power Building 3rd Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant in PA). Panda Power Funds, a private equity firm located in Dallas, TX announced a partnership with Sunbury Generation to build a whopping 1,124-megawatt Marcellus gas-fired electric plant on the site of a retired coal-fired plant near Shamokin Dam in Snyder County, PA. In early April final testing was underway at the facility, and it was supposed to go online in May (see Marcellus-Fired Panda Hummel Electric Plant Roars to Life in PA). Did it actually go online in May? We don’t know and we don’t spot any stories announcing it as online. However, the main contractor building the project, Bechtel, issued a press release last week to announced that the Hummel Station Power Plant is now “completed.” Done. Finished. We suspect that also means it’s now online. The newly minted plant will provide enough electricity to power more than 1 million homes, using Marcellus gas…
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Marcellus-Fired Panda Hummel Electric Plant Roars to Life in PA

It takes a long time to build a natural gas-fired electric power plant–especially a big one. We began writing about one of the largest coal-to-gas conversion projects in the country, happening in the heart of PA Marcellus country, back in February 2014 (see Panda Power Building 3rd Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant in PA). Panda Power Funds, a private equity firm located in Dallas, TX announced a partnership with Sunbury Generation to build a whopping 1,124-megawatt Marcellus gas-fired electric plant on the site of a retired coal-fired plant near Shamokin Dam in Snyder County, PA. Final testing is now underway at the facility, which was supposed to go online in February but is now scheduled to begin operations in May. Here’s an inside look at the complicated process of bringing a new power plant online…
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PA DEP Sec. Visits Snyder County Gas-Fired Power Plant; 2nd Plant?

Yesterday Patrick McDonnell, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection, went on a field trip and took a tour of the Panda Power Funds Hummel Station natural gas power plant site in Synder County. In February 2015, Panda announced a joint venture with Sunbury Generation to build a whopping 1,124-megawatt plant on the site of a recently retired coal-fired plant near Shamokin Dam in Snyder County (see Panda Power Building 3rd Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant in PA). Since that time the project has made steady progress and is now 88% complete. Panda said on the tour yesterday it expects to complete the plant and begin full operations in February of next year–just a little over three months from now. UGI has already built a 34-mile pipeline to feed the plant (see UGI Ready to Begin Flowing Gas via $150M Sunbury Pipeline in PA). Sec. McDonnell is tickled pink (or should we say natgas flame blue) with the project, and said so yesterday. Perhaps the biggest news to come from the tour yesterday is that Panda and Sunbury Generation have partnered for a second gas-fired power plant–right next door to the Hummel Station plant…
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UGI Ready to Begin Flowing Gas via $150M Sunbury Pipeline in PA

Sunbury Pipeline map – click for larger version

In December 2014 Pennsylvania utility company UGI pre-filed an application to build a new 35-mile, 20-inch pipeline to feed a natgas-powered electric generating plant being built in Snyder County, PA (see UGI Pre-Files with FERC for New Marcellus Pipeline in Central PA and UGI Building 35-Mile Pipeline for Panda Power Electric Plant). The project, called the Sunbury Pipeline, was estimated to cost $150 million–money that goes into the local economy. It took long enough, but in May 2016 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finally approved the project (see UGI Sunbury Pipeline Gets FERC Approval, Built by November?). UGI broke ground on the project in August (see UGI Breaks Ground on Sunbury Pipeline for NEPA Electric Plant). Here it is December, and the Sunbury Pipeline is done and expected to go live in January…
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Panda’s Marcellus Gas Power Plants Fined for Using Too Much Water

Panda Power FundsOver the past two months Panda Power Funds has brought online the first two built-from-scratch-to-use-Marcellus-gas electric plants, both in northeast Pennsylvania (see First NatGas Power Plant in Marcellus, Panda Liberty, Goes Online and Panda’s 2nd Marcellus-Powered Electric Plant Goes Online in PA). Before Panda owned and built the “Liberty” and “Patriot” power plant projects, they were first owned and begun by Moxie Energy. Moxie secured all of the necessary permits and then sold the two projects to Panda (see Moxie Liberty Sells PA Electric Plant Project to Panda Power and Panda Power Buys Rights for 2nd Marcellus-Fueled Electric Plant). Panda is also building a third power gen project by converting a former coal-fired plant into burning Marcellus gas (see Panda Power Building 3rd Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant in PA). Word has come out that when Panda was building the two Moxie-purchased plants, Liberty and Patriot, they used more water than the original plan called for. Panda says Moxie’s original plan didn’t allow for enough water needed to properly test the plants. The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) has been in talks with Panda about all three of their projects and the water overages for each. News reports say that Panda has worked out a deal with the SRBC to pay the agency a $97,000 fine for using too much water…
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Panda Power Raises $710M to Fund 3rd Marcellus Power Plant

Panda Power FundsLast week saw a flurry of activity for the official ribbon-cutting at Panda Power’s very first built-from-scratch Marcellus gas-powered electric plant going online in Bradford County (see First NatGas Power Plant in Marcellus, Panda Liberty, Goes Online). We were so distracted with that momentous event, we almost missed another important Panda announcement: Panda finished securing $710 million worth of investments to fund its third Marcellus gas-fired plant–a huge plant (bigger than Panda Liberty), located in Snyder County, PA. We previously wrote about “Panda Hummel,” a 1,124 megawatt power station that will convert a former coal-fired plant to burn natural gas (see Update on Panda Power’s Huge Marcellus-Powered PA Electric Plant). Hummel will generate enough electricity to power 1 million homes! You can have all the great plans and ideas in the world, but they don’t get built without money. Panda has now raised the money to build Hummel, by selling debt to do it…
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UGI Sunbury Pipeline Gets FERC Approval, Built by November?

UGI Marcellus assets map
UGI Marcellus assets map – click for larger version

Contrary to the lies spread by anti-pipeline groups like THE Delaware Riverkeeper, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is no rubber stamp for the oil and gas industry. In December 2014 Pennsylvania utility company UGI pre-filed an application to build a new 35-mile pipeline to feed a natgas-powered electric generating plant in Snyder County, PA (see UGI Pre-Files with FERC for New Marcellus Pipeline in Central PA and UGI Building 35-Mile Pipeline for Panda Power Electric Plant). The project was estimated to cost $150 million–money that goes into the local economy. It took long enough, but last week the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finally approved the project. The 20-inch Sunbury Pipeline will start in Lycoming County and travel through Montour, Union, and Northumberland counties, cross the Susquehanna River and ending up at Hummel Station Plant in Shamokin Dam in Synder County…
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Update on Panda Power’s Huge Marcellus-Powered PA Electric Plant

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Panda Power’s Rendering of New Hummel Plant – click image for larger version

In February MDN told you that Panda Power Funds, a private equity firm located in Dallas, TX already committed to building two 829-megawatt electric generating plants in Pennsylvania, was partnering with Sunbury Generation to build a whopping 1,000-megawatt plant on the site of a recently retired coal-fired plant near Shamokin Dam in Snyder County, PA (see Panda Power Building 3rd Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant in PA). It is, by all accounts, one of the largest coal-to-gas conversion projects in the country. Yesterday Panda released more details about the project. It will actually be 1,124 megawatts. Panda has contracted with Bechtel and Siemens Energy to build the plant, which, when up and running, will provide enough electricity to power 1 million homes. Here’s the latest on Panda’s “Hummel Station” project that will be fed by Marcellus Shale gas, including the tech being used to build it…
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Panda Power Building 3rd Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant in PA

MDN has previously told you about Panda Power Funds, a private equity firm located in Dallas, TX that’s building two 829-megawatt electric generating plants in Pennsylvania (see Plugging in to Panda Power’s Electric Generation Supply Chain). Panda Liberty is located in Towanda, and Panda Patriot in Williamsport. Both will be fed by abundant, cheap and clean-burning Marcellus Shale gas. You can now add a third such project to the Panda portfolio. Yesterday Panda announced a joint venture with Sunbury Generation to build a whopping 1,000-megawatt plant on the site of a recently retired coal-fired plant near Shamokin Dam in Snyder County, PA…
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UGI Building 35-Mile Pipeline for Panda Power Electric Plant

Panda Power announced yesterday that they will build a new 1,000-megawatt electric generating plant powered by Marcellus Shale gas in Snyder County, PA (see today’s companion story). In order to get Marcellus gas to the plant site, a 35-mile pipeline is needed. Enter UGI, one of Pennsylvania’s largest utility companies with a midstream subsidiary that builds pipelines. UGI has committed $160 million to build the 20-inch pipeline needed to supply the plant…
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UGI Pre-Files with FERC for New Marcellus Pipeline in Central PA

Another new pipeline on the way from Pennsylvania utility company UGI. This one will run from Lycoming County in north-central PA to Snyder County in central PA and bring abundant, cheap, clean-burning Marcellus Shale gas from NEPA to a site where a company is converting a former coal-burning electric generating plant into a natural gas electric plant, near the Shamokin Dam in Snyder County. UGI has submitted a pre-filing request to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the 35-mile pipeline–a project that will cost $150 million to build. Starting next month UGI will conduct an open season to sign up more customers for cheap Marcellus Shale gas. Here’s the details…
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PA DEP, Marcellus Shale Coalition Admit Drilling Wastewater Likely Contaminating Drinking Water

There are 15 (of an original 27) municipal sewage treatment plants in Pennsylvania that still accept Marcellus Shale drilling wastewater. That is, until May 19 of this year.

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