MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Fri, Nov 14, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: WV announces more than $4B in energy investments in past month; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: NY Climate Act fork in the road; Hochul enrages environmentalists with shift to ‘all of the above’ energy policy; Mike Kennealy calls for review of Massachusetts’ green energy programs; NATIONAL: Natural gas prices hit highest level since invasion of Ukraine; Six US states to watch as rising gas prices drive a coal comeback; Chevron sees oil prices under ‘more pressure’ than LNG next year; INTERNATIONAL: Crude settles higher; This year’s UN climate summit in Brazil, COP30, is a green flop; Paris Climate Accord’s demise—James Hansen was right; Five EU countries import €938 million in Russian oil and LNG in October.

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION

WV announces more than $4B in energy investments in past month
West Virginia Office of Governor – Patrick Morrisey
Governor Patrick Morrisey announced that West Virginia secured nearly $4.2 billion in private-sector energy investments and more than 4,200 new jobs in under a month, asserting the state as a dominant force in American energy. Key projects include a $2.5 billion natural gas power plant creating 3,200 construction jobs, $1.44 billion to extend the life of six coal-fired plants, and a $1.2 billion gas-fired plant in Harrison County. These announcements support the Governor’s “50 by 50” initiative, which aims to increase baseload generation to 50 GW by 2050. The nearly $4.2 billion secured required only a minimal $1 million, repayable state contribution, showcasing the state’s success in attracting investment without major taxpayer funding. [MDN: WV is making aggressive moves to expand energy production. Hats off to Gov. Morrisey for his leadership in making this happen.]

OTHER U.S. REGIONS

NY Climate Act fork in the road
Pragmatic Environmentalist of New York/Roger Caiazza
The article argues that New York’s Climate Act mandates have reached a “fork in the road,” demanding legislative revision due to issues of infeasibility, affordability, and grid reliability. This conclusion is primarily supported by a recent New York Supreme Court decision, which ordered the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to either issue final greenhouse gas regulations or ask the Legislature to change the 2030 reduction mandate, as the State itself deemed compliance “currently infeasible.” State analyses, including the Draft Energy Plan and Comptroller Audit, further highlight critical deficiencies, escalating costs, and the likelihood of missing clean energy goals due to transmission inadequacies and other technical obstacles. The author urges the Legislature to modify the law, coupling a revised schedule with clearly defined, trackable standards for affordability and reliability. [MDN: How about the legislature canceling the idiotic Climate Act? That would be the smartest thing to do.]

Hochul enrages environmentalists with shift to ‘all of the above’ energy policy
POLITICO/Marie J. French, Mona Zhang
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has enacted a “monumental pivot” on energy policy, moving away from her previous climate-forward agenda, citing concerns over energy affordability and grid reliability ahead of a tough re-election bid. The governor recently approved a new gas pipeline and settled a lawsuit to keep the gas-fueled Greenidge cryptocurrency miner operating for five more years. This shift has ignited “outrage” from the progressive environmental wing of her party, leading three major climate groups to endorse her primary opponent, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. Hochul defends the “all-of-the-above” approach, claiming it is necessary to govern in reality amid rising costs and grid warnings, reflecting a national trend among moderate Democrats prioritizing near-term economic concerns over aggressive climate targets. [MDN: Hochul has always been and continues to be a sleazy leftist politician. But she’s not stupid. She sees that the policies she has created won’t work, and she wants to get reelected. Hence, this “monumental pivot” on energy policy. The best thing NY can do is elect Elise Stefanik next year as governor to replace the failed Hochul.]

Mike Kennealy calls for review of Massachusetts’ green energy programs
Boston (MA) Herald/Tim Dunn
Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy has called for an independent review of all green energy programs and climate spending in Massachusetts, blaming Governor Maura Healey’s policies, such as blocking gas pipelines, for contributing to the state’s high energy costs. Kennealy argues that the pursuit of the 2050 net-zero emissions mandate is prioritizing ideology over affordability and reliability, urging cuts to policies driving up utility bills for families and businesses. Concurrently, legislation is moving on Beacon Hill to roll back green energy spending, including the net-zero mandate, and redirect the Mass Save program’s focus to cost-effectiveness, drawing support from small businesses but criticism from climate activists. Governor Healey has also filed her own legislation aiming to lower energy costs by reducing state mandates and strengthening energy independence. [MDN: Healey is the problem in Massachusetts. She must go. Mike Kennealy is the solution to lower energy prices in the Bay State.]

NATIONAL

Natural gas prices hit highest level since invasion of Ukraine
Wall Street Journal/Ryan Dezember
The onset of cold weather and record-breaking Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exports have driven U.S. natural-gas prices to their highest levels since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This surge, with December futures hitting $4.646 per million British thermal units—up 67% from a year ago—benefits U.S. drillers who suffered from a supply glut last year. However, these higher costs threaten to increase heating bills for the roughly 61 million American homes warmed by natural gas, plus the many more powered by gas-generated electricity. The rise is largely attributed to a sustained, record pace of LNG export activity, primarily to European allies, which is more than offsetting the near-record domestic production pace, despite ample storage levels heading into the winter. [MDN: It certainly is a balancing act. We like a higher natgas price, but we don’t want it so high that consumers suffer and gas-fired power turns to coal-fired power.]

Six US states to watch as rising gas prices drive a coal comeback
Reuters/Gavin Maguire
A significant rise in U.S. natural gas costs in 2025 has spurred utilities to reverse the multi-year trend of declining coal use, opting to boost coal-fired electricity generation to curb consumer bills. Benchmark natural gas futures, up 44% from last year, averaged $3.57 per million British thermal units, making coal, which is approximately 20% cheaper, the preferred fuel. Through the first seven months of the year, national coal output rose by about 16%, while gas generation dropped by 4%. This cost-saving shift is most prominent in six states—Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, and Wisconsin—which collectively saw a 26% increase in coal burning. Although this coal revival will lead to a short-term swell in power sector emissions, cost pressures and political support are expected to sustain the trend in the months ahead. [MDN: Electricity generation is very price sensitive. If natgas prices climb too high too fast, coal becomes the first choice for powergen.]

Chevron sees oil prices under ‘more pressure’ than LNG next year
Bloomberg/K. Crowley, K. Greifeld, R. Bostick
Chevron CEO Mike Wirth predicts that increased oil supply from OPEC+ nations will continue to pressure crude prices next year, making 2026 prices likely to feel more pressure than LNG. Following its correct prediction of this year’s oil price drop, Chevron unveiled a five-year plan prioritizing profitability over production growth through 2030, aiming for 14% annual free cash flow growth with $70/barrel crude. While Chevron expects strong global demand for liquefied natural gas, Wirth anticipates lower LNG spot prices at the end of the 2020s due to a supply surge from the Gulf Coast and Middle East, potentially exceeding demand. [MDN: We believe companies like Chevron any day of the week over corrupt NGOs like the IEA. Pay attention to what Chevron predicts.]

INTERNATIONAL

Crude settles higher
Bloomberg/M. Gindis, A. Longley, W. Kubzansky
Oil prices rebounded slightly, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for December rising 0.34% to settle at $58.69 a barrel and Brent for January rising 0.3% to settle at $63.01 a barrel, despite strong evidence of a looming record surplus. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projected supply will exceed demand by over four million barrels a day in 2026, a deteriorating outlook reinforced by a large 6.4 million barrel rise in US crude inventories. This oversupply concern, which has pushed a key price indicator into contango, contrasts with supply risks from new US sanctions on Russian energy firms like Rosneft and Lukoil. Prices also found support in signs of resilient global consumption, indicated by falling product inventories and rising exports. Even though OPEC+ plans to pause production hikes in early 2026, a significant market surplus is still widely expected. [MDN: Bloomberg is trying to scare the markets once again, but they can’t hide the fact that oil prices rose anyway.]

This year’s UN climate summit in Brazil, COP30, is a green flop
Legal Insurrection/Leslie Eastman
The recent COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, hosted by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was characterized as a “green flop” due to the lowest turnout of world leaders in four years, with only 31 heads of state attending. This poor attendance coincided with President Donald Trump’s declaration that the climate crisis is “dead” and his continued reversal of climate policies, which angered some participating leftist leaders. California Gov. Gavin Newsom attended to contrast with Trump’s absence and promote California’s (failed) efforts. The summit highlighted a clash of ideologies, with host Lula strongly condemning “climate denialism” and stressing the urgency of the crisis (and the need for you to give them your money), while the article asserts that these annual conferences are losing their luster and legitimacy. [MDN: COP30 was a big-time floparoono. Only “B” listers like Greasy Gavin attended. He makes your skin crawl. Nobody is buying the hoax anymore, which angers leftists.]

Paris Climate Accord’s demise—James Hansen was right
Institute for Energy Research/Robert L. Bradley, Jr.
The article asserts that the Paris Climate Agreement is a failure, evidenced by almost all major signatories being out of compliance with their emissions reduction pledges, including the U.S. and Russia. This demise was predicted by climate scientist James Hansen, who called the 2015 accord a “fraud” and “worthless words,” arguing that as long as fossil fuels remain the cheapest option, they will continue to be burned. Hansen also dismissed the idea that renewables could rapidly phase out fossil fuels. The commentary concludes it is time to repeal the agreement and Net Zero, advocating for adaptation and stating that a high-energy civilization, which relies on fossil fuels, is the true driver of climate livability. [MDN: More brilliant insights from Robert Bradley about the nonsensical Paris agreement. It was stupid then and it’s stupid now. We’re glad Trump has removed the U.S. from participating. Paris was always about a huge money grab from U.S. taxpayers to the rest of the world. The rest of the world can go pound frac sand.]

Five EU countries import €938 million in Russian oil and LNG in October
Qatar News Agency
In October, five EU countries—Hungary, Slovakia, France, Belgium, and Romania—paid Russia a total of €938 million for oil and natural gas imports, according to a report published in Moscow. Hungary was the top importer at €258 million, followed by Slovakia at €210 million. Natural gas, which is not subject to EU sanctions, accounted for two-thirds of the total payments. France and Belgium primarily imported liquefied natural gas (LNG), while Romania purchased pipeline gas. The report also indicated that the EU, Australia, and the US imported €971 million in petroleum products from Indian and Turkish refineries using Russian oil, with an estimated €443 million derived from the Russian crude. [MDN: Despite all of their talk and bluster, the Euro weenies continue to fund the Ukrainian war by buying Russian oil and gas. That’s a simple and undeniable fact.]