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WV Supreme Court Upholds Some Local Zoning for Gas Drilling
Here’s a West Virginia court case we were not previously aware of, one that affects the entire state regarding local zoning for shale gas drilling. The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that municipal zoning laws are not entirely preempted by state environmental regulations, reversing an intermediate court decision and siding with the City of Weirton against SWN Production Company (Southwestern Energy, now part of Expand Energy). The 4-1 decision found no conflict between the state Department of Environmental Protection’s authority over drilling processes and municipalities’ power to regulate land use under the Land Use Planning Act. Read More “WV Supreme Court Upholds Some Local Zoning for Gas Drilling”
Although there are legitimate concerns over data centers locating in populated communities (noise, water use, etc.), make no mistake: The anti-data center movement is nothing more than the anti-fracking movement in new clothes (see 
In mid-April, MDN brought you the great news that a major lawsuit had been filed against New York State alleging a “taking” of private property by the state via the state ban on fracking (see 
The Democrats who rule New York State with an iron fist recently signed a new budget bill into law (57 days late). In New York, the sleazy politicians who run the state slip all sorts of legislation into bills unrelated to the budget. They operate on the “throw as much crap against the wall as you can to see what sticks” theory of legislating. This year, the legislature and governor finally had to face the reality that the state’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) was not feasible. So they changed it, much to the distress of the radical environmental left. As part of the budget bill, the Dems lightened up on requirements in the CLCPA. The end result is that natural gas infrastructure, including new gas pipelines, is once again on the agenda. 
ISO New England’s Internal Market Monitor reported that total wholesale electricity costs in New England reached $15 billion in 2025, up 48% from 2024. The increase was driven by higher natural gas prices, tighter supply, changes in the resource mix, and shifts in market design. Day-ahead energy prices averaged $71.81/MWh, up 73%, while real-time prices rose 67% to $65.89/MWh. Natural gas prices more than doubled to $6.27/MMBtu. Carbon taxes added $1.1 billion to energy costs. Boiling it all down, aside from carbon taxes, high natgas prices are the main culprit. The report (full copy below) has some thoughts about why natgas prices are so high in New England. 
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee has issued its first subpoena in a probe of what it calls a coordinated climate litigation campaign against energy companies. The subpoena targets Roger Worthington, attorney for Multnomah County, Oregon. Multnomah seeks more than $51 billion from energy companies (and if they prevailed, Worthington’s law firm would get one-third of that, making every person working the case an instant millionaire). Chairman Jim Jordan and Rep. Darrell Issa are investigating possible coordination (collusion) between Worthington, the Environmental Law Institute, and its Climate Judiciary Project, despite CJP’s supposed neutrality. 
OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Delfin reaches FID on US’ first floating LNG export project; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas gains ahead of inventory data; U.S. natural gas storage capacity increased slightly in 2025; U.S. propane market’s shifting trends for storage, production, exports; INTERNATIONAL: Oil settles higher on Iran strikes; The Strait of Hormuz is getting less dire by the day; Natural gas isn’t greenwashing – it’s historical accuracy under attack.