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PA Manufacturers’ Assoc: NatGas Demand Going up 40% Next 10 Yrs

Yesterday the 11th “Think About Energy” Briefing was held at Misericordia University, near Wilkes-Barre, PA. The session aimed to provide an update on the economic and environmental benefits of PA natural gas, and was organized/sponsored by Borton-Lawson, Cabot Oil & Gas, UGI Energy Services, UGI Utilities, and Williams, in conjunction with ACT for America and the Back Mountain Chamber of Commerce. About 100 people attended. Carl Marrara, vice president of government affairs for the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association, had this to say: “The demand for natural gas is expected to increase by 40 percent over the next decade, and even more in Pennsylvania.” He said that more natural gas is needed by PA manufacturers, but slow pipeline infrastructure approvals by “government officials” are “holding up growth.” MDN friend Bill desRosiers of Cabot Oil & Gas was the moderator and master of ceremonies. Other speakers included: Abe Amorós of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), Mike Atchie of Williams, and Larry Godlasky of UGI Energy Services. Although it was a gas-friendly crowd, the session wasn’t, however, without a touch of controversy. One anti showed up–a math professor from Luzerne Community College–and left in a huff when the audience told him to shut up and sit down during the Q&A portion…
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2nd NEPA County Attracting Business with Locally Produced Gas

Click for larger version

MDN has spotted what we believe is a rather ingenious trend in Northeastern Pennsylvania. One of the ongoing “problems” with drilling in gas-rich, rural counties like Susquehanna and Wyoming counties is that the gas gets extracted–and promptly exported out of the region via pipelines. Locals don’t have the option of tapping in to the cheap, abundant, clean-burning source that comes out of the ground beneath them. Susquehanna County has 43,000 residents (11,700 families). The largest “city” in Susquehanna County is the county seat of Montrose, population 1,600 (750 households). It’s just not all that economical to run natural gas pipelines to homes around the county–even though residents live atop an embarrassing riches of natural gas. One company, Leatherstocking Natural Gas, changed all that in early 2014 when they started to run pipelines to residences and businesses around Montrose (see PA Rural Residents Burn Marcellus Gas, Save Big Bucks on Heating). Last year Montrose held a business expo–an attempt to lure businesses to start or relocate in Montrose’s bucolic community. One of the key advantages? Hook up to cheap natural gas. It’s working. And that example is now being copied by neighboring Wyoming County, just to the south of Susquehanna County. The Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce and UGI Energy Services are working on a deal to bring locally produced natural gas to residents and businesses in Wyoming’s largest “city”–Tunkhannock (population 1,836). The Chamber is trying to get a $1 million grant from the state to help defray the cost for locals to connect to a new pipeline system that will flow local gas…Continue reading

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UGI Ready to Begin Flowing Gas via $150M Sunbury Pipeline in PA

Sunbury Pipeline map – click for larger version

In December 2014 Pennsylvania utility company UGI pre-filed an application to build a new 35-mile, 20-inch pipeline to feed a natgas-powered electric generating plant being built in Snyder County, PA (see UGI Pre-Files with FERC for New Marcellus Pipeline in Central PA and UGI Building 35-Mile Pipeline for Panda Power Electric Plant). The project, called the Sunbury Pipeline, was estimated to cost $150 million–money that goes into the local economy. It took long enough, but in May 2016 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finally approved the project (see UGI Sunbury Pipeline Gets FERC Approval, Built by November?). UGI broke ground on the project in August (see UGI Breaks Ground on Sunbury Pipeline for NEPA Electric Plant). Here it is December, and the Sunbury Pipeline is done and expected to go live in January…
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UGI Breaks Ground on Sunbury Pipeline for NEPA Electric Plant

Sunbury-pipeline
Sunbury Pipeline – click for larger version

In December 2014 Pennsylvania utility company UGI pre-filed an application to build a new 35-mile pipeline to feed a natgas-powered electric generating plant in Snyder County, PA (see UGI Pre-Files with FERC for New Marcellus Pipeline in Central PA and UGI Building 35-Mile Pipeline for Panda Power Electric Plant). The project is estimated to cost $150 million. It took long enough, but in May the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finally approved the project, with the seemingly impossible prospect it would be built by this November (see UGI Sunbury Pipeline Gets FERC Approval, Built by November?). The 20-inch Sunbury Pipeline will start in Lycoming County and travel through Montour, Union, and Northumberland counties, cross the Susquehanna River and ending up at Hummel Station Plant in Shamokin Dam in Synder County. On Wednesday, UGI broke ground on the new pipeline. The impossible just became possible!…
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PennEast Opponents Complain They’ve Been Outsmarted by UGI

hypocrite.jpgIt’s always fun to point out just how hypocritical Big Green groups, like the Sierra Clubbers, actually are. The Sierra Club in New Jersey is all up in arms that utility company UGI has hired a former member of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Pamela Witmer, as vice president of government affairs. MDN was the first source to tell you the importance of her hiring, i.e. to help get the PennEast Pipeline approved (see UGI Hires PA PUC Commissioner in Brilliant Move for PennEast Pipe). The Sierra Club is “blasting” Witmer’s hire as “exactly what’s wrong with government and the incestuous relationship between utilities and corporations.” This is delicious. We will take you chapter and verse through two top Democrats in PA that have moved in and out, back and forth, between government jobs and jobs at Big Green organizations and corporations–Katie McGinty and John Hanger. The idiots at the Sierra Club make it too easy to point out their raging hypocrisy…
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UGI Hires PA PUC Commissioner in Brilliant Move for PennEast Pipe

Pamela Witmer
Pamela Witmer

Pamela Witmer, formerly a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commissioner for five years, has left the PA PUC and has joined UGI Energy Services as vice president of government affairs. We previously wrote that Pam was one of the stars at the PUC (see PA PUC Commissioner’s Full-Throated Support of Marcellus Shale). Normally we don’t run announcements of personnel changes–unless its important and somehow affects the Marcellus/Utica. Pam’s new job certainly qualifies. Why? As vice president of government affairs for UGI, Pam will “represent the company’s interests before public officials and regulatory agencies, educate stakeholders on a variety of energy issues, and provide strategic counsel to new and existing customer projects.” In other words, Pam will talk to regulators that she already knows, and be a strong voice throughout the region for projects UGI undertakes. UGI happens to be the main sponsor of the PennEast Pipeline project–a project being vigorously opposed by anti-fossil fuel nutters like THE Delaware Riverkeeper. Now you can see why Pam’s appointment is a brilliant move by UGI…
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UGI Sunbury Pipeline Gets FERC Approval, Built by November?

UGI Marcellus assets map
UGI Marcellus assets map – click for larger version

Contrary to the lies spread by anti-pipeline groups like THE Delaware Riverkeeper, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is no rubber stamp for the oil and gas industry. In December 2014 Pennsylvania utility company UGI pre-filed an application to build a new 35-mile pipeline to feed a natgas-powered electric generating plant in Snyder County, PA (see UGI Pre-Files with FERC for New Marcellus Pipeline in Central PA and UGI Building 35-Mile Pipeline for Panda Power Electric Plant). The project was estimated to cost $150 million–money that goes into the local economy. It took long enough, but last week the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finally approved the project. The 20-inch Sunbury Pipeline will start in Lycoming County and travel through Montour, Union, and Northumberland counties, cross the Susquehanna River and ending up at Hummel Station Plant in Shamokin Dam in Synder County…
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Dominion & NiSource Bow Down to Lord Obama, Worship the EPA

Yesterday the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled the Natural Gas STAR Methane Challenge Program at the Global Methane Forum held in Washington, DC. The Methane Challenge is a “voluntary” program for obsequious companies to pretend they’re concerned about so-called fugitive methane escaping into the atmosphere and toasting Mom Earth. Silly, we know–but this is how some billion dollar companies gain favors from the political establishment–and improve their evil fossil fuel image with the nutjobs who believe in this stuff. Tragically, several Marcellus midstream companies, including Dominion, NiSource and UGI signed on to this flummery. There are 41 such companies from across the country who have signed on to the Methane Challenge (we list them all below). Prediction: It won’t be long before this “voluntary” program becomes involuntary–with the jackboots of the EPA on the necks of all oil and gas companies to get them to comply with the unrealistic standards in the program…
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NEPA Electric Plant Converted from Coal to NatGas a Huge Success

As MDN has previously chronicled, Chicago-based Invenergy hopes to build what will be the largest (to date) electric generating plant in the state of Pennsylvania powered by natural gas. Invenergy hopes to build the 1300-megawatt plant in the borough of Jessup (Lackawanna County), near Scranton. But there’s been quite a bit of opposition, most of it from anti-fossil fuelers (see our Jessup power plant stories here). The folks in Jessup might want to cast their eyes on another project not far away, in Luzerne County, where a former coal-fired power plant was recently converted to burn natural gas. That plant, owned and operated by UGI, reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by 99%, and reduced nitrogen oxide emissions by 95%. That is, natgas-fired electric plants are one of the lowest polluting ways to generate electricity–and far more reliable than alternatives like solar and wind…
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UGI Completes Auburn Loop Pipeline in NEPA, Benefits Cabot O&G

project completeWay back in May 2014 MDN told you that UGI Energy Services, a subsidiary of UGI (a utility company in northeast PA) would build two new pipelines in northeast PA for $80 million that will allow them to transport cheap, abundant, locally extracted natural gas from Cabot Oil & Gas in Susquehanna County to residents in the greater Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area (see UGI Energy Building 2 New Pipelines in NEPA for Cabot O&G). One of those two projects was completed last November (see UGI Turns on New Pipeline for Cabot in NEPA). Earlier this week UGI completed the second project, called the Auburn Loop–9 miles of new pipeline that parallels existing pipeline and, along with compressor upgrades, allows UGI to pump an additional 270 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/d) of Marcellus Shale gas from Susquehanna County, PA to the Scranton area…
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PennEast Pipeline’s Main Sponsor Recognized as Enviro Champion

we are the championsPerhaps we now know the real reason why a group of anti-fossil fuel protesters decided to abandon their protest at the headquarters of PennEast Pipeline’s main sponsor, UGI. MDN told you yesterday how mainstream media in the New Jersey market covered a “massive” protest (of 35 people) who showed up at the Statehouse in Trenton during the day–with obviously nothing better to do–to protest against the PennEast Pipeline (see Tiny Protest in Trenton, NJ Against PennEast Pipeline is “News”?). The protesters had planned to also show up at UGI headquarters on Tuesday for a similar “massive” protest–but those plans got canceled. We assumed it was because it was food stamp distribution day and the paid-for protesters had better things to do–but maybe we were wrong. Could it be that protest organizers were tipped off that UGI, the lead sponsor of the PennEast Pipeline, was about to be named to a national list of utility companies that are “Environmental Champions”? It wouldn’t look good for THE Delaware Riverkeeper and her acolytes to show up and protest a company that is recognized nationwide as one of the leading environmentally sensitive companies, would it?…
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Tiny Protest in Trenton, NJ Against PennEast Pipeline is “News”?

newsSome 35 anti-fossil fuel wackos, apparently with no jobs, show up during a slow news day at the Statehouse in Trenton, NJ to protest the PennEast Pipeline and news outlets report it as a major story, implying there’s a huge movement against the pipeline. What about the 366,500+ residents who also live in Mercer County and who aren’t opposed to the PennEast and who didn’t turn out to protest it? Is that worth a story? Apparently not. Of course this tiny protest wasn’t spontaneous–it was organized, planned, hyped and paid for by nutty Sierra Clubbers and THE Delaware Riverkeeper (Maya van Rossum)…
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Shale Insight 2015: Opening Panel on Philadelphia as Energy Hub

Shale Insight 2015At last week’s Shale Insight conference, MDN editor Jim Willis sat in on a few of the main sessions. One of those sessions was the opener on Wednesday–a panel discussion moderated by the inimitable and always interesting Michael Krancer, a partner at the Philadelphia-based Blank Rome law firm and formerly the Secretary of the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection during Tom Cobett’s administration. The panel discussion was titled “Philadelphia – The New Northeast Energy Hub” and featured an all-star lineup: Joe Colella, senior VP at Sunoco Logistics; Phil Rinaldi, Chairman and CEO at Philadelphia Energy Solutions; and John Walsh, President and CEO of UGI Corporation. Mike Krancer kicked off the session with a bold statement: He believes Philly will rival and soon pass Houston, Texas as the dominant energy hub in the United States…
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UGI Provides Update on PennEast & Other New PA Pipeline Projects

During the AmeriGas Partners quarterly analyst conference call yesterday, Pennsylvania utility giant UGI Corporation CEO John Walsh gave an update on several projects of interest for those in the PA Marcellus Shale. Oh! We should point out AmeriGas is the country’s largest propane company and a subsidiary of PA-based UGI, which is why Walsh was on the call. And what did he say? Walsh provided an update on UGI’s $60 million project to build a new LNG production plant in Wyoming County, PA (see UGI Building LNG Plant in NEPA, Local Marcellus Gas to Feed It). He also spoke in glowing terms about the PennEast Pipeline and how he sees that project unfolding (it should be operational by late 2017). Walsh also updated analysts on several pending pipeline projects that will feed electric plants being built in the Marcellus. Here’s what he said yesterday…
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SE PA Natgas Customers See Rates Drop 13.5% Thx to Marcellus

Last winter in the northeast saw record-setting cold temperatures in many locations–particularly in Pennsylvania–and near-record demand for natural gas. That would normally mean the price of natural gas used to heat homes and power businesses would rise–significantly. Instead, if you’re among the 178,000 customers who live or work in one of 15 southeastern PA counties served by UGI Penn Natural Gas, your rates are about to go down–again. How much? By an average of 10.3% as of June 1st and another 3.2% on December 1st (total of 13.5% in 6 months). Why? Because UGI now sources ~90% of its natural gas from the cheap, abundant, clean-burning, homegrown, FRACKED Marcellus Shale. Even with record low temps and record high demand, your price just keeps dropping. UGI customers in other PA regions (northeast and central PA) are also seeing rates drop…
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Marcellus Shale Gas Road Show Visits Union County, PA

Last Friday approximately 100 business leaders gathered in Lewisburg (Union County), PA for the “Think About Energy” briefing hosted by America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA), UGI Utilities, Inc., UGI Energy Services and the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce. The energy briefing is the seventh such briefing in a series being held throughout PA over the past year. The briefings focus on the supply outlook for natural gas and natural gas liquids, as well provide information on production, consumption trends, utilization opportunities and infrastructure developments. That is–the briefings help those who own or run businesses use and profit from the availability of cheap, abundant Marcellus Shale gas and figure out how to plug into the supply chain. Such sessions are not uncommon. What is uncommon about this session is it’s location–Union County–which is south of Lycoming County and east of Centre County. Union has not (yet) seen a single Marcellus Shale well drilled…
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