Last week we noticed the large merger/acquisition by Dominion Energy in buying South Carolina-based SCANA Corporation. We didn’t think much of it at the time. SCANA is an energy-based holding company principally engaged, through subsidiaries, in electric and natural gas utility operations and other energy-related businesses. In other words, the local electric and gas company for much of South Carolina. Dominion is a big company with many operations–they are a pipeline company, an electric generating company, and a utility company (like SCANA). The merger makes sense–Dominion gets to grow and add more customers to its utility business. We didn’t think there was a tie-in with the Marcellus/Utica region, which is why we haven’t (until now) brought you the news about Dominion’s $7.9 billion all-stock purchase of SCANA. However, there is a big potential connection to the Marcellus/Utica. You may recall we brought you news in early December that Dominion and their partner in the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) project Duke Energy are considering expanding the original ACP to more locations in North Carolina, AND expanding the pipeline into South Carolina (see Atlantic Coast Pipeline’s Future Plans: Expand in NC & SC). Dominion is now openly saying that the SCANA purchase makes it more likely they will push to expand ACP into SC–meaning even more Marcellus/Utica gas could be flowing to Dixie…
Last week we noticed the large merger/acquisition by Dominion Energy in buying South Carolina-based SCANA Corporation. We didn’t think much of it at the time. SCANA is an energy-based holding company principally engaged, through subsidiaries, in electric and natural gas utility operations and other energy-related businesses. In other words, the local electric and gas company for much of South Carolina. Dominion is a big company with many operations–they are a pipeline company, an electric generating company, and a utility company (like SCANA). The merger makes sense–Dominion gets to grow and add more customers to its utility business. We didn’t think there was a tie-in with the Marcellus/Utica region, which is why we haven’t (until now) brought you the news about Dominion’s $7.9 billion all-stock purchase of SCANA. However, there is a big potential connection to the Marcellus/Utica. You may recall we brought you news in early December that Dominion and their partner in the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) project Duke Energy are considering expanding the original ACP to more locations in North Carolina, AND expanding the pipeline into South Carolina (see 