Big Green Grifter McKibben Joins Fight Against Va. Gas-Fired Plant
Dominion Energy, a huge utility company and power generator headquartered in Virginia, recently dusted off its plan to build the Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center in the James River Industrial Center (see Dominion Plans to Build 1,000-MW Gas Peaker Plant Near Richmond, VA). The project includes building four 250-megawatt gas-fired power plants (1,000 MW total) that can jump into action during the coldest and hottest days of the year to help supply enough electricity for 250,000 homes on days when the sun doesn’t shine, and the wind doesn’t blow. A small group of antis (mostly from Big Green groups) recently gathered outside an elementary school to oppose the plan (see Small Group of Antis Oppose Dominion Chesterfield Peaker Plant). Their efforts to focus attention on the project failed, so they’ve called in “the big guns”–namely Bill McKibben, head of the radicalized 350.org.
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In July 2020, Dominion Energy announced it had decided to exit the natural gas pipeline business by selling it to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy (see 
Even though Dominion Energy sold its interstate pipeline network in 2020 (see 
The left’s insane push to ban the use of all fossil energy, including natural gas, is beginning to bear fruit with large utility companies. Dominion and National Grid–huge electric and gas companies providing service to millions of customers–are rumored to be shopping some of their natural gas pipeline networks. So says the venerable Wall Street Journal. The reason? They believe the end of providing natural gas to customers is now on the horizon, and they want to dump their gas pipeline assets now, while those assets will still fetch big money.
Hydrogen energy is the new savior that will keep the world from toasting itself out of existence. So goes the current faddish meme. But not just any old hydrogen (or H2) can be used. No, no, no! Hydrogen has to be “low carbon” hydrogen (i.e. produced by means that is low or no-carbon), or it is persona non grata. It reminds us of when “low fat” was all the rage in diets–until it wasn’t. But we digress… The Open Hydrogen Initiative (OHI) was convened earlier this year to measure and map the emissions footprint of “clean” (low or no-CO2) hydrogen. Earlier this week, a number of prominent energy companies joined OHI, including EQT, the largest natural gas producer in the U.S. (focused 100% on the Marcellus/Utica).
It appears that Williams (pipeline company) and Coterra Energy (driller), along with end-customer Dominion Energy (local gas utility) have developed their own “responsible gas” certification scheme apart from the three such schemes widely used by many Marcellus/Utica drillers currently. In an announcement yesterday, Williams said the deal struck with Coterra and Dominion establishes “the industry’s first next generation natural gas certification process across all segments of the value chain from production through gathering and transmission with deliveries through 2023.”
In February, MDN brought you news about a “last mile” pipeline from Dominion Energy (see 
In something of a shocker, EQT Corporation, the largest natural gas producer in the country with its headquarters (and most major drilling operations) in Pennsylvania, is throwing its weight and support behind a coalition in West Virginia to attract one of the so-called regional hydrogen hubs (worth $1 billion or more in taxpayer investment) to the Mountain State, not to the Keystone State. EQT is one of the main players in forming a new coalition called the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2). Other big energy companies supporting ARCH2 include Williams, Dominion Energy, CNX Resources, and New Fortress Energy (among many more).
Berkshire Hathaway Energy’s (BHE) GT&S subsidiary announced that the Cove Point LNG export facility, which BHE GT&S operates, reached a major milestone at the end of July. Cove Point has loaded its 300th commercial LNG export cargo. All of the molecules that Cove Point liquefies come from the Marcellus Shale. MDN was there from the beginning, chronicling the journey from idea to construction to (now) loading 300 cargo ships full of Marcellus LNG. What a journey!
Environmental radical Freeda Cathcart, who was once arrested for resisting and interfering with a U.S. Forest Service agent at the site of tree cutting for Mountain Valley Pipeline in Giles County, VA (see 
Dominion Energy is divesting itself from a natural gas utility company it owns in West Virginia–Hope Gas, Inc. Dominion is selling Hope to investment firm Ullico Inc. for $690 million. Ullico plans to combine Hope Gas with another company it owns, Hearthstone Utilities, Inc. The reason this deal caught our attention is that Hope Gas owns and operates “2,000 miles of gathering pipelines” in the Mountain State.
Most of our coverage about pipelines is for large interstate pipelines, or perhaps large regional gathering pipeline systems. Every now and again we’ll bring you news about a “last mile” LDC (local distribution company) pipeline–the pipes utility companies install and maintain to run gas to homes and businesses. We have a story of that sort for you today. Dominion Energy, a huge utility company that used to be in the pipeline business (but sold its pipeline business to Warren Buffett a few years ago) wants to install a new 760-foot pipeline under the Blue Ridge Parkway (managed by the National Park Service) in North Carolina.
Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) had laid 31 miles of pipeline and had cut trees for 222 miles along the 600-mile route before Dominion Energy, the builder, decided in 2020 it no longer wants to be in the interstate pipeline business, canceling ACP (see