MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Tue, Dec 9, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]

OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Newsom sparks rebellion in Bay Area town; Aurora partners with San Antonio company to haul fracking sand; AGA staffer joined interview process for open Maryland PSC seats; If Sherrill wants to make NJ affordable, she must roll back net-zero policies; NATIONAL: No hurricanes strike USA for 1st time in a decade; Spark and dark spreads indicate improved profitability of natural gas, coal power plants; Climate groups falter, Bill Gates recalibrates, but Al Gore soldiers on; INTERNATIONAL: Crude oil price settles lower; China’s Daqing Oilfield surpasses one million tonnes in shale oil output.

OTHER U.S. REGIONS

Newsom sparks rebellion in Bay Area town
Bloomberg
California Governor Gavin Newsom faces resistance from Benicia leaders over plans to convert Valero’s closing refinery into a fuel storage hub. As the state transitions from fossil fuels, the April shutdown threatens a gas price spike, prompting Newsom to seek import storage solutions. However, Benicia Mayor Steve Young opposes the storage plan, arguing it provides no jobs or tax revenue while maintaining pollution. With negotiations to keep the refinery open collapsed due to Valero’s high funding demands, the closure creates an economic crisis for Benicia and potential political fallout for Newsom regarding rising fuel costs. [MDN: Trouble in paradise over Gruesome Newsom’s idiotic plan to import gasoline from OTHER COUNTRIES in order to avert a disaster of no fuel due to his policies that are closing refineries in the state. How stupid can voters be to keep electing someone like Newsom? It boggles the mind.]

Aurora partners with San Antonio company to haul fracking sand
Pittsburgh (PA) Post-Gazette
Aurora has partnered with Detmar Logistics to launch the first autonomous fracking sand hauling operation in the Permian Basin. Beginning early next year, up to 30 Aurora-powered trucks will transport sand between Midland and Monahans, Texas, for a major energy producer. The fleet will initially utilize safety observers before transitioning to fully driverless runs later in the year. This collaboration aims to double Detmar’s capacity through near 24/7 utilization, allowing trucks to autonomously navigate complex tasks like overhead filling silos while improving safety and efficiency in the oil and gas supply chain. [MDN: Aurora is headquartered in Pittsburgh, hence why the Post-Gazette is writing about a driverless frac sand hauler in Texas. Will we see driverless frac sand being delivered in the M-U? Time will tell.]

AGA staffer joined interview process for open Maryland PSC seats
Energy & Policy Institute
Documents obtained by the Energy and Policy Institute (EPI) reveal that Juan Alvarado, a senior director at the American Gas Association (AGA), participated in interviews for Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s appointments to the Public Service Commission (PSC). Alvarado, the sole non-governmental interviewer, helped evaluate candidates for the regulatory body that oversees gas utilities represented by the AGA. This involvement occurred amidst rising utility rates and legislative efforts to curb gas spending. Alvarado had previously been nominated by Moore for a PSC seat in 2023, but the nomination was withdrawn due to backlash over his industry connections. [MDN: The misnamed EPI is a hard-left NGO trying to shame Gov. Moore (a Democrat) for using an expert to help him pick good candidates for the PSC. Anyone, anything remotely connected to “fossil fuels” must be politically assassinated for leftist fanatics like the EPI.]

If Sherrill wants to make NJ affordable, she must roll back net-zero policies
RealClearEnergy
The article argues that New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill’s promise of energy affordability contradicts her support for the 2019 Energy Master Plan, which mandates 100% renewables by 2035. Critics claim this policy has already driven NJ electricity rates 42% above the national average due to the closure of reliable coal and nuclear plants. While Sherrill advocates for expanding solar and freezing utility rates, the author contends these measures ignore strong voter support for natural gas and nuclear power. Ultimately, the piece asserts that achieving lower costs requires abandoning net-zero mandates in favor of “energy abundance” and a competitive marketplace. [MDN: Sherrill won’t roll back lunatic net-zero policies. NJ residents are getting what they voted for, so they should just SHUT UP and take it.]

NATIONAL

No hurricanes strike USA for 1st time in a decade
Rigzone
For the first time in a decade, the United States avoided any hurricane landfalls during the 2025 season. NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs confirmed that while the Atlantic produced 13 named storms and four major hurricanes, activity remained within predicted ranges across all basins. This season was notably the first to incorporate Artificial Intelligence into National Hurricane Center forecasts, successfully aiding in the prediction of rapid intensification. Although the U.S. was spared direct hurricane hits, tropical storms and distant hurricanes still caused localized damage along the East Coast and in the Carolinas. [MDN: Wait just a darned, tootin’ minute. We’ve been told (and brainwashed children for the past couple of generations) that man-made global warming is causing an increase in hurricanes and “severe weather.” Yet NO hurricanes hit the U.S. this year? How can that be?!]

Spark and dark spreads indicate improved profitability of natural gas, coal power plants
U.S. Energy Information Administration – Today in Energy
Between January and November 2025, rising wholesale electricity prices in the PJM Interconnection significantly boosted the competitiveness of fossil fuel generators. Profitability metrics for both sources increased, but coal saw the most dramatic turnaround. The “dark spread” for coal surged from negative values in 2023 to nearly $21/MWh in 2025, a 250% increase over the prior year. Meanwhile, natural gas “spark spreads” rose moderately to $28/MWh. Consequently, coal’s rapid economic improvement has narrowed the gap with natural gas, signaling improved relative economics for coal-fired plants despite slightly higher fuel costs. [MDN: The bottom line is that fossil energy is powering the electricity market, not unreliable renewables, which continue to be a fringe source of electric generation.]

Climate groups falter, Bill Gates recalibrates, but Al Gore soldiers on
RealClearEnergy
The article details recent turmoil engulfing climate activism, highlighting the financial and strategic failures of major organizations. The Sierra Club faced a 60% drop in core support after shifting focus to social justice, while 350.org suspended operations due to funding shortages. Additionally, the “green bank” Aspiration filed for bankruptcy amidst fraud convictions and NBA salary-cap scandal allegations. The piece notes a significant rhetorical shift, with Bill Gates backing away from doomsday predictions and downsizing his advocacy group. Ultimately, the author portrays Al Gore as increasingly marginalized, remaining the sole, obstinate face of “climate hysteria” within a fracturing movement. [MDN: The climate crazies are coming apart at the seams. It’s about time.]

INTERNATIONAL

Crude oil price settles lower
Bloomberg
Oil prices declined significantly, with West Texas Intermediate falling 2% to settle at $58.88 and Brent dropping to $62.49, marking the steepest easing in three weeks. The downturn was driven by weak refined product markets and concerns that Russian oil flows to India will persist despite sanctions, exacerbating fears of global oversupply. Market sentiment remains bearish as anticipated production increases from OPEC+ and non-OPEC nations like the US and Brazil threaten to overwhelm tepid demand. Additionally, stalled Ukraine peace talks and technical indicators remaining below 100-day moving averages further reinforced the downward momentum in energy markets. [MDN: Wait a minute. We thought “stalled” peace talks would mean continued sanctions and keeping Russian oil out of the market, thereby raising prices because of less supply. We’re now asked to believe the opposite? We think that sometimes these “reporters” just make things up as they go, depending on whim.]

China’s Daqing Oilfield surpasses one million tonnes in shale oil output
Daqing Oilfield
Daqing Oilfield, a major energy hub in northeast China, announced that its Gulong shale oil block exceeded one million tonnes in annual output this year, signifying a successful shift to scaled production. Established as a national demonstration zone in 2021, the Gulong block has seen its output multiply for five consecutive years due to the development of five core technologies tailored for large-scale extraction. As a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation, Daqing Oilfield remains crucial to China’s energy security, having produced over 2.5 billion tonnes of crude oil since 1959, representing 36 percent of the nation’s total onshore output. [MDN: A one-handed clap from us to the Chinese for ripping off our shale technology to make this milestone happen.]