MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: White powder found in envelope at Peoples Natural Gas; Hazleton buses now all run on compressed natural gas; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Deadly grid battery fallacy exposed in Massachusetts; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas futures snap losing streak; Companies paying record sums to develop geothermal energy; Electricity use is becoming more common for residential heating; Trump wants more natural-gas exports and lower energy prices; INTERNATIONAL: Oil rebounds amid tariff jitters; OPEC keeps oil outlook unchanged; Nestle quits global alliance on reducing dairy methane emissions; Climate Cult fantasy and duplicity precede COP30; ‘Green’ Antoinettes preaching austerity from private jets; Yes Virginia, David can slay Goliath; US threatens visa restrictions, sanctions against UN members that back IMO emissions plan.

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION

White powder found in envelope at Peoples Natural Gas
Pittsburgh (PA) Post-Gazette/Megan Guza
Police are investigating after an envelope containing flour was mailed to Peoples Natural Gas on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, prompting a hazmat response Monday morning. An employee opened the envelope in the sixth-floor mailroom, releasing a white powder later identified as flour. Although no one was harmed and the building was not evacuated, employees briefly sheltered in place. Police are treating the incident as a potential terroristic threat, citing past anthrax attacks as the reason for the serious response. The company followed emergency protocols, and the building was cleared for normal operations about 30 minutes later. [MDN: No mention of who sent it. A disgruntled customer? Or possibly a fossil fuel hater who tipped over into terrorism? One wonders.]

Hazleton buses now all run on compressed natural gas
Hazelton (PA) Standard Speaker/Kent Jackson
Hazleton Public Transit has fully transitioned from diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, completing a shift that began in 2018 with the purchase of its first natural gas bus. The fleet now includes 11 CNG buses, refueled at the John Ford Bus Storage and Maintenance Facility, which processes pipeline gas for easy rooftop fueling. CNG costs about $1 less per gallon than diesel, saving HPT an estimated $80,000 annually, and emits roughly 20% less carbon dioxide. Funded entirely by state grants, the buses are easier to maintain, have advanced safety features, and are expected to last 10 years or 500,000 miles. [MDN: Smart move by Hazelton. Why don’t other cities do this?]

OTHER U.S. REGIONS

Deadly grid battery fallacy exposed in Massachusetts
Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)/David Wojick
A Massachusetts watchdog group has warned that the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued dangerously flawed safety guidance for large grid-scale battery projects mandated by the 2024 Energy Act. The DEP based its rules on NFPA Standard 855, which applies only to small batteries under 50 kWh—far smaller than the massive 4,000 kWh units planned for Massachusetts’ 3,500 MW battery buildout. Critics say applying 855’s small-scale standards, such as three-foot spacing, to huge batteries could cause catastrophic fires. The error extends nationwide, as agencies like the EPA and industry groups also cite NFPA 855, underscoring an urgent need for proper large-battery safety standards. [MDN: Massachusetts will learn a hard lesson (about fires and explosions) if it puts these large battery farms in urban areas, as it currently plans to do.]

NATIONAL

U.S. natural gas futures snap losing streak
Wall Street Journal
U.S. natural gas futures edge up in rangebound trade with mild weather at the tail end of the storage injection season keeping a lid on gains. “Natural gas remains caught in a messy transition period in the near-to-medium term as three months of bearish weather from August-October put storage on a trajectory north of 3,900 Bcf,” Eli Rubin of EBW Analytics says in a note. Production is likely to rise over the coming weeks, although the longer-term outlook is strong with LNG growth outpacing supply gains, he adds. “Yet until colder weather arrives, it may remain difficult for natural gas to sustain a break higher.” Nymex natural gas for November settles up 0.4% at $3.118/mmBtu after falling the previous three sessions. [MDN: Bleeding stopped before the price sank below $3 again. That’s a good thing.]

Companies paying record sums to develop geothermal energy
Bloomberg/Renata Carlos Daou
For the first time in years, the U.S. government leased all available public lands for geothermal development at record prices, with per-acre bids surging 282% to an average of $127. The boom is fueled by soaring energy demand from AI-driven data centers and the Trump administration’s support for geothermal as part of its energy independence agenda. Unlike wind and solar, geothermal retained tax credits under recent legislation. Advances in drilling and fracking techniques have made geothermal cheaper and more viable, with analysts projecting it could meet up to 64% of future data center energy growth. BLM plans additional auctions later this year. [MDN: Nothing wrong with geothermal. It employs the same fracking techniques and technology used in drilling shale oil and gas wells. SAME THING. However, steam doesn’t create plastics and the myriad of products that oil, gas, and other hydrocarbons create. Just sayin’.]

Electricity use is becoming more common for residential heating
U.S. Energy Information Administration – Today in Energy
Electricity is increasingly used for home heating in the U.S., with 42% of households in 2024 naming it their main heating fuel, up from previous years, while natural gas use fell to 47% from 49% in 2010. This shift reflects population migration to warmer regions, reduced heating demand, and advances in electric heat pump technology. Policy changes—such as natural gas bans in new construction—have also influenced adoption. Homes tend to use the same fuel for multiple needs, such as cooking and water heating. Recent federal data now track monthly energy use, revealing strong seasonal patterns in gas and electricity consumption. [MDN: We need a national law to make natgas bans illegal. We hope the Republican Congress & President can pull it off.]

Trump wants more natural-gas exports and lower energy prices
Wall Street Journal/Benoît Morenne
The U.S. is poised to nearly double natural gas exports over the next five years, driven by new LNG terminals and trade policies under the Trump administration, which tie energy deals to U.S. sales. While domestic reserves are abundant, aging major basins like Haynesville and infrastructure bottlenecks, especially in the Permian and Northeast, could constrain supply, driving higher prices and volatility. Analysts warn that prices may need to rise to $4–$5 per million BTUs to incentivize production in less productive areas. Companies remain cautious, balancing capital discipline with export demand, while potential global LNG gluts could also affect U.S. pricing. [MDN: We need more pipelines, is the bottom line from this article. But we’ve known that for years. The Haynesville can’t keep up with the demand coming from new LNG export facilities. We need gas from the M-U and the Permian to help.]

INTERNATIONAL

Oil rebounds amid tariff jitters
Bloomberg/Mia Gindis, Veena Ali-Khan
Oil prices hovered below $60 a barrel as hopes for a potential U.S.–China trade deal eased market anxiety following new tariffs and export curbs. West Texas Intermediate rose 1% to $59.60 after last week’s sharp drop, supported by rebounding equities. Analysts said tariff tensions could be short-lived demand shocks before recovery. Meanwhile, China’s new fees on U.S.-owned vessels disrupted shipping, raising freight rates. OPEC’s 630,000-barrel-per-day output increase added supply concerns, while an Israel–Hamas ceasefire reduced geopolitical risk. Analysts noted that sub-$60 oil may slow U.S. drilling, potentially curbing production in the months ahead. [MDN: WTI slipped below $60 late last week. No big deal. Some oil companies will slow production. That’s how economics works. As the price falls and companies can’t make a profit, they will stop producing for a while, and then prices will rise again.]

OPEC keeps oil outlook unchanged
Bloomberg/Bill Lehane
OPEC kept its oil market outlook unchanged, maintaining forecasts for global demand growth of 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2025 and 1.4 million bpd in 2026. The group and its allies, OPEC+, continue to add supply to a market expected to move into surplus next year, increasing output by 630,000 bpd in September. Brent prices have fallen 18% over the past year, largely since the April supply hikes. OPEC+ crude demand remains steady at 42.5 million bpd in 2025, rising to 43.1 million bpd in 2026. Transport fuels—especially jet fuel and diesel—lead consumption gains, while non-OPEC producers, notably the U.S., Brazil, Canada, and Argentina, drive output growth. [MDN: Not until we break the back of OPEC+ will their ability to control our future change. It’s frustrating.]

Nestle quits global alliance on reducing dairy methane emissions
Reuters/Alexander Marrow
Nestlé announced it is withdrawing from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance, a coalition launched in December 2023 by the Environmental Defense Fund and partners such as Danone, Kraft Heinz, and Starbucks to measure and reduce dairy-sourced methane emissions. While Nestlé did not explain its decision, it affirmed ongoing efforts to cut greenhouse gases and remains committed to its 2050 net-zero pledge. The company said it regularly reviews external memberships and would partner instead with the World Farmers’ Organisation to enhance food-system climate resilience. [MDN: Another enviro-left club bites the dust. This is a much-needed kick in the teeth for the EDF. Good on Nestlé. Pass us the Nesquik!]

Climate Cult fantasy and duplicity precede COP30
The Heartland Institute/Paul Driessen
The article argues that COP30 will be a spectacle for advancing what it calls climate “fantasy” and duplicity, criticizing claims of a climate crisis as based on unreliable models rather than real science. It asserts that energy and climate policies under the Net Zero agenda have raised costs, destroyed jobs, and harmed living standards, especially in Europe, while the U.S. economy is said to be thriving thanks to fossil fuels. It condemns international climate finance demands, ideological notions like “climate justice,” and shifts in UN priorities toward social issues, claiming they undermine meaningful action. [MDN: Another excellent insight from Paul Driessen. The upcoming climate meeting will be more of the same nonsense. We have their number. An increasing number of people see through the ruse by the radical left and reject this climate bunkum.]

‘Green’ Antoinettes preaching austerity from private jets
CO2 Coalition/Vijay Jayaraj
The article criticizes the hypocrisy of politicians, celebrities, and elites who preach climate austerity while living lavish, carbon-intensive lifestyles. Figures like Taylor Swift, Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, and Bernie Sanders emit thousands of tons of CO? annually through private jet travel, far exceeding average citizens or even small nations’ per capita emissions. The author argues that United Nations climate conferences and “net-zero” policies reveal a two-tiered morality where elites profit from green subsidies while ordinary people face higher costs and restrictions. The piece concludes that voters may eventually rebel against this “climate aristocracy” and its privileged hypocrisy. [MDN: People are waking up to the grotesque hypocrisy (and outright stupidity) of climate “warriors” like Taylor Swift, Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, and Bernie Sanders. They preach one thing and do another. Al Gore is the worst of the worst.]

Yes Virginia, David can slay Goliath
America Out Loud News/Ronald Stein P.E.
The article argues that powerful “Goliath” energy and industrial systems are vulnerable to attacks by smaller “David” actors, as shown by Ukraine’s strikes on Russian refineries and a recent fire at Chevron’s U.S. plant. It criticizes green-energy advocates for neglecting the fact that electricity alone can’t manufacture materials, pointing out that petroleum, natural gas, and coal provide essential molecular feedstocks for steel, plastics, fertilizers, and more. The author warns that policies focused solely on wind and solar ignore that renewables can’t sustain the full industrial supply chain, making major infrastructure tempting targets. [MDN: Stein often writes about the fact that so-called renewables can generate electricity, but they can’t make things, the things we use in our daily lives. Without fossil fuels, we’re all screwed.]

US threatens visa restrictions, sanctions against UN members that back IMO emissions plan
Reuters/Ismail Shakil, Lisa Baertlein
The United States has warned of retaliatory measures—including visa restrictions, sanctions, and potential denial of port access—against nations supporting the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Net-Zero Framework. This proposal aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, a sector responsible for about 3% of global emissions. While large container carriers support the plan, major oil tanker companies have expressed concerns. U.S. officials argue that the proposal could harm economic interests and impose an unapproved global tax regime. The IMO is set to vote on the proposal next week, requiring a two-thirds majority for approval. [MDN: The Trump admin is fighting against the ever-present attempt to control our country via backdoor methods, like this one. It’s time to resign from the UN and boot it out of this country.]