13 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Dec 8 – 14
Volatility is the watchword for new permits in the Marcellus/Utica. Three weeks ago, the combined count between Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia was a measly 8 new permits (see 8 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Nov 24 – 30). Two weeks ago, the number soared to the highest we’ve seen for a single week in a long time, maybe ever, at 60 new permits (see 60 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Dec 1 – 7). Last week? For December 8 – 14, the number sank once again, down to 13. PA issued 5 permits, OH issued 7, and WV issued 1 last week. Read More “13 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Dec 8 – 14”

In August 2014, the Marshall County, WV board of commissioners voted to approve a plan to build a Marcellus Shale-powered electric plant in the county (see
Data centers—large facilities full of computers—have been in the news a lot over the past year. The internet and tech companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon gave rise to data centers. But a new/renewed emphasis emerged a year ago with the unveiling of artificial intelligence (AI), which is now being used by a large portion of the population. Did you know that there are currently 4,149 active data centers in the U.S.? And that another 2,788 have been announced/planned, primarily related to AI? That’s from a fantastic new report from the American Edge Project (AEP) and the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA). Earlier this week, they released “America’s AI Surge: Powering Investment, Jobs, and Growth in Every State” (full copy below). We’ve extracted information specific to the Marcellus/Utica region from the report.
In April, Knighthead Capital Management, Homer City Redevelopment (HCR), and Kiewit Power Constructors Co. announced a plan to convert the former Homer City Generating Station, previously the largest coal-fired power plant in Pennsylvania (Indiana County, 50 miles east of Pittsburgh) into a more than 3,200-acre natural gas-powered data center campus, designed to meet the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (see
In June 2023, Dominion Energy announced plans to build four small “peaker” electric generating plants in Chesterfield County near Richmond (see
Great news about another new gas-fired power plant coming to Virginia—a plant that will use Marcellus/Utica molecules. Red Post Energy Group and Wise Innovation Hub Venture (OASIS) have signed a Letter of Intent to develop power infrastructure for a major technology and data center hub in Wise County, Virginia, in the southwestern corner of the state. Known as the Maverick Project, this phased initiative aims for a total capacity of 600 megawatts, beginning with an initial 100-megawatt phase.
This is sad and unexpected. Five weeks ago, MDN reported that Energy Transfer was holding off on a final investment decision (FID) for its Lake Charles LNG export project until 80% of the project had been sold to equity partners (see
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Cold weather leads to lower Northeast natural gas outflows; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Ithaca halts net-zero code changes following state’s all-electric delay; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas settles lower in volatile session; What if the chart of US oil production is wrong?; BKV announces $100 million share repurchase program; Wind turbine eagle-kill secrecy may soon end; State AGs ask DOJ to probe Chinese ties to anti-energy activism; Top 5 American energy developments in 2025; INTERNATIONAL: Oil edged higher for a second day; EIA sees 2.2 million barrel per day glut in 2025; Why Canada’s hottest shale play is catching the eye of US producers; German energy demand seen sliding to historic low.