PA Gov. Claims Victory in Un-Pausing $2B in Energy-Related Pymts
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro can rest easy now that he’s got his “fix” of $2.1 billion in federal taxpayer money promised to him by the Bidenistas before they left town. As you may recall, the Trump administration put an immediate pause on some federal funds after Elon Musk’s DOGE kids discovered massive fraud in government programs. The pause sent Shapiro into a tailspin like a junkie cut off from his drug supplier, so he sued to restore his money fix (see PA Gov. Sues Trump Admin for Pausing $2B in Energy-Related Payments). As we said then, the pause was temporary, giving the Trump team time to sort out the fraudsters from legitimate payments. The Trump team has restarted the payments to PA, so Governor Huckster, er, a, Shapiro, is claiming victory. There was never any doubt the payments would restart once they were validated as legitimate. Read More “PA Gov. Claims Victory in Un-Pausing $2B in Energy-Related Pymts”
We’re always suckers for a good railroad story. We spotted an article in Railway Age magazine announcing the publication’s 2025 Short Line and Regional Railroads of the Year. Among the list of honorable mentions was the Columbus & Ohio River Rail Road Company (CUOH), owned by Genesee & Wyoming. CUOH operates in Ohio, with its main line stretching from Columbus to Mingo Junction near Steubenville on the Ohio River. Spanning 277 miles of track, it connects central and eastern Ohio, serving various industries, including the Utica Shale industry. 
Here’s a factoid that had escaped our notice until now: The NYMEX “front month” contract price for natural gas today is ~150% higher than it was one year ago. Yesterday, February 24, 2025, the NYMEX natural gas front-month contract (March 2025) settled at $3.994 per MMBtu. The same price a year ago was $1.602 per MMBtu (Feb. 23, 2024)—technically 142% higher over the past year. Any way you slice it, gas prices are up, and according to an analysis by Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com, the price is likely to stay higher. 
The great folks at Steel Nation, headquartered in Canonsburg, PA, have built over 2,200 compressor stations and other structures for the oil and gas industry in the Marcellus/Utica (and beyond) over the past 17 years. Last November, Steel Nation announced it had launched a new division to build electric microgrids for companies looking to create their on-site power plants to ensure their operations run efficiently 24/7/365 (see 
Shell, which dropped “Royal Dutch” from its name after leaving The Netherlands in 2022 due to high taxes and overregulation, is one of the world’s supermajors (oil and gas driller). Shell is also one of (perhaps THE) largest producers and vendors of LNG, or liquefied natural gas, worldwide. The company has just released its ninth annual LNG Outlook 2025 (full copy below), which highlights key trends in 2024 and hauls out the crystal ball to predict where things are heading over the next 15 years. Shell predicts that global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is forecast to rise by around 60% by 2040, which is largely driven by economic growth in Asia, emissions reductions in heavy industry and transport, and the impact of artificial intelligence. 
LPG, or liquefied petroleum gas, is known by the more common name of propane. Propane is an NGL (natural gas liquid). Propane is a byproduct of drilling for oil and natural gas. In fact, according to a new article in LPGas magazine, it’s a misconception to say companies drill for oil or natural gas. The more accurate description is that drillers drill for hydrocarbons because every hole they sink brings multiple hydrocarbons out of the ground, including crude oil (or condensate), methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), and other hydrocarbons like pentane, butane, and others. It would be accurate to say drillers primarily drill for single hydrocarbons, namely crude oil and/or natural gas. However, other hydrocarbons, including propane, come out of the ground as byproducts. 
OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Under extremist legislation, New Yorkers will pay $3 billion a year more for energy; New York green car law has auto dealers fired up as looming deadline doesn’t match ‘reality’; NATIONAL: Winter finally gives us natural gas room to run; INTERNATIONAL: Oil edges up amid uncertainty; BP set to scrap oil and gas production cuts.