MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Wed, Oct 29, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Pennsylvania needs every tool to meet growing energy demand; Appalachian Catholics and labour align to tackle environmental issues; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: LADWP says it will shift its largest gas power plant to hydrogen; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas futures fall in volatile trade; Energy CEOs ‘optimistic about growth’; Bill Gates calls for climate fight to shift focus; DOE grid policy & data centers – new thinking ahead?; INTERNATIONAL: Oil rally fades on oversupply fears; Oil giants join OPEC in boosting output; European gas edges higher as traders eye fragile supply balance.

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION

Pennsylvania needs every tool to meet growing energy demand
Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News
Pennsylvania’s significant economic growth from data centers and advanced manufacturing faces a crisis as power supply fails to keep pace with surging demand, despite a 630% jump in payments to power plant owners via PJM’s capacity auction. This supply gap threatens reliability and economic competitiveness, mirroring New Jersey’s recent spike in electricity bills. Pennsylvania’s electric utilities, which are obligated to serve but lack generation authority, are pushing for pragmatic solutions over rigid market ideology. They propose enhanced procurement flexibility (long-term contracts) and a backstop authority, allowing utilities to seek permission to build generation, with strong oversight, only if competitive markets demonstrably fail. The article asserts the state must adopt these flexible tools to ensure reliable power and keep costs down, rather than gamble with its economic future. [MDN: An op-ed written by Andrew Tubbs, the president and CEO of the Energy Association of Pennsylvania. He’s offering solutions for utilities to respond to demand and hold prices steady.]

Appalachian Catholics and labour align to tackle environmental issues
Independent Catholic News/Lonnie Ellis
Catholic and labor leaders convened in Pittsburgh to address environmental exploitation and worker abuse in Appalachia, marking the 50th anniversary of the pastoral letter This Land is Home to Me and the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’s Laudato Si. Bishop Mark Brennan denounced “powerful corporations” that prioritize profit over people and the planet, even calling for boycotts, while labor leader Angela Ferritto stressed the generational solidarity between the Church and unions for protecting livelihoods. Delegates shared personal stories, including Sister Helen Skormisley’s account of forced fracking and its health dangers, reminiscent of mining’s consequences like Black Lung. Former miner Paul Lemmon advocated for the faith community to use its “moral high ground” to unite with labor in cleaning up the estimated 300,000 abandoned, polluting gas and oil wells in the region. The event emphasized hope as an action, urging unified commitment for “A Healthy Future for This Land.” [MDN: So it’s not only Protestants with a fake “Evangelical” environmental group (in reality hard left Democrats pretending to be Evangelical), it’s the Catholics, too. We suppose there’s a fake group in every religion that uses that religion as a disguise for its disgusting and warped philosophies.]

OTHER U.S. REGIONS

LADWP says it will shift its largest gas power plant to hydrogen
Los Angeles (CA) Times/Yahoo! News
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) board approved an $800-million plan to convert two natural gas units at the Scattergood Generating Station into new turbines capable of running on natural gas and eventually 100% green hydrogen by the end of 2029. DWP considers the modernization critical for L.A. to meet its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2035, ensuring reliability during peak demand. However, the controversial project faces strong opposition from environmental groups like the Sierra Club, which argue it prolongs reliance on fossil fuels, as the plant will likely burn 100% methane initially due to a lack of available hydrogen supply. Opponents also cite concerns about potential nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from hydrogen combustion, water use, and the project’s high, potentially underestimated, cost to ratepayers, preferring investments in proven technologies like solar, wind, and battery storage. [MDN: The Clubbers would rather have LA undergo prolonged power outages by using unreliable renewables (made from materials mined on the other side of the planet by kids in deplorable conditions). This DWP plan is stupid. They will require the hydrogen to be “green”—hydrogen produced by splitting water using electricity from wind mills and solar panels. It will be so obscenely expensive that it will never work. But then, nobody ever accused those who run LA of being smart.]

NATIONAL

U.S. natural gas futures fall in volatile trade
Wall Street Journal
U.S. natural gas futures settle lower in volatile trade ahead of Wednesday’s November contract expiration, affected by warmer weather forecasts for Nov. 3-11. “The monthly contract rollover period typically offers heightened volatility during options expiration and final settlement, particularly on the heels of a volatile month-to-date pattern at the front of the curve,” Eli Rubin of EBW Analytics says in a note. “Although fundamentals suggest a bearish bias for November, monthly rollover volatility can often follow non-fundamental drivers into final settlement.” The November contract settled down 2.8% at $3.345/mmBtu. [MDN: Still sittin’ pretty in the mid-$3 range. We’re not complaining.]

Energy CEOs ‘optimistic about growth’
Rigzone/Andreas Exarheas
KPMG’s 2025 Global Energy, Natural Resources, and Chemicals (ENRC) CEO Outlook shows rising confidence, with 84% of CEOs optimistic about mid-term industry growth, driven by demand for both fossil fuels and renewables. However, a slight dip in company-specific optimism (78%) reflects concerns over regulation and inflation, leading to a shift toward more cautious M&A strategies, with only 36% expecting “high impact” deals. Artificial intelligence is now a core focus, with 65% of CEOs ranking generative AI as a top investment, and 72% planning 10-20% budget allocation. The majority (66%) anticipate ROI within one to three years. Despite the push, challenges persist, including ethical concerns (55%), fragmented data, rising cyber threats (e.g., fraud at 64%), and a deepening talent crunch, which 43% of CEOs cite as their biggest hurdle. [MDN: Why is it that legacy media refuses to report on “rising confidence” among CEOs about industry growth? The reporting is constant doom and gloom, which is why nobody believes (or listens to) legacy media anymore. At least, those with a brain don’t listen to them.]

Bill Gates calls for climate fight to shift focus
Associated Press/Jennifer McDermott
Bill Gates advocates for a “strategic pivot” in the global climate fight, arguing that an overly pessimistic focus on near-term emission reduction has diverted resources from tackling immediate suffering like poverty and disease, particularly in the world’s poorest nations. He believes scientific innovation will ultimately curb climate change, but that health and prosperity are the best defenses against its impacts. Gates suggests reallocating climate aid from expensive, low-impact emission projects to life-saving initiatives. His controversial memo drew criticism from climate scientists who stress that every fraction of a degree of warming matters and that climate action should not be pitted against human development, as both are feasible and necessary. [MDN: This is major. Gates has long been a global warming catastrophist and shill. He’s changed. He is now focusing on humans and not imaginary global warming foo foo bullcrapus. His former “friends” don’t like the change.]

DOE grid policy & data centers – new thinking ahead?
MasterResource/Kennedy Maize
The Department of Energy (DOE) proposed a draft rule to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to federalize and streamline the connection of large data centers (20 MW or greater) to the interstate transmission grid. Driven by the need for “unprecedented” electricity to fuel AI innovation and manufacturing, the rule would shift interconnection decisions from states to FERC, standardizing procedures and allowing co-location of load and generation to speed up timelines. The proposal, however, met skepticism. Critics question the potential impact on grid reliability, the cost burden on residential customers, and the unprecedented federal intrusion on state regulatory authority. An alternative concept advocates for data centers to use off-grid power supplies, a concept gaining legislative support. [MDN: A thoughtful post that ponders how we can quickly add AI data centers without raising rates for everyone.]

INTERNATIONAL

Oil rally fades on oversupply fears
Bloomberg/Staff
Oil prices declined sharply, with West Texas Intermediate falling 1.9% near $60 a barrel, as concerns over global oversupply outweighed a recent rally spurred by new US sanctions on major Russian producers, Lukoil and Rosneft. Record-high global oil shipments and the potential for OPEC+ to increase output this weekend are fueling the bearish sentiment. Despite the sanctions intended to pressure Russia over the war in Ukraine, their effectiveness is being questioned by analysts and traders, as enforcement mechanisms are unclear and key buyers like India and China continue to navigate ways to purchase discounted Russian crude. The previous price spike caused a liquidation of bearish wagers, now leaving the market positioned to bet on a further drop amid rising global supply. [MDN: Not until we stop the cheaters (India, in particular) from buying Russian oil will prices rise significantly. WTI for December delivery was 1.9% lower to settle at $60.15 a barrel. Brent for December settlement fell 1.9% to settle at $64.40.]

Oil giants join OPEC in boosting output
Bloomberg/Mitchell Ferman, Kevin Crowley
Despite facing weak crude prices and an oversupplied market, the world’s largest oil companies—including Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, and TotalEnergies—are accelerating oil and gas production growth, with output expected to increase by 3.9% this year and 4.7% in 2026. This strategy is driven by a long-term view that oil demand will remain resilient and prices will rise in the latter half of the decade, making current investments crucial for future profitability. To fund this, the supermajors are cutting jobs, trimming share buybacks, and scaling back low-carbon energy investments to focus on the higher-return upstream business. The production growth comes from new projects, maturing past investments, and major acquisitions, positioning these companies to capitalize on an anticipated market tightening, even as they contend with short-term pressure on free cash flow. [MDN: Good! Don’t let the thug dictators of OPEC+ control you.]

European gas edges higher as traders eye fragile supply balance
Bloomberg/Priscila Azevedo Rocha
European natural gas futures edged higher, rising as much as 0.9% amid concerns over short-term supply and the anticipation of colder weather driving up demand. The benchmark futures remain within a narrow trading range near €32 per megawatt-hour, despite recent dips in seaborne shipments and piped imports from Norway due to maintenance. Although Europe’s gas storage sites are nearly 83% full, a recent cold snap has already led some nations to tap reserves, highlighting the market’s sensitivity. The threat of disruptions to global flows, increased competition for cargoes, and Ukraine’s heightened need for imports following attacks on its production capacity continue to weigh on the market. [MDN: All it will take for our natgas prices to rise dramatically is a big cold snap and shortages in Europe. Watch for it.]