Data Centers are “The Next Big Thing” for M-U Natural Gas
Data centers, which are buildings full of computers crunching search queries and other requests, along with artificial intelligence (AI), which uses data centers, are closely tied to the natural gas industry. Data centers require enormous amounts of electricity, and the fastest and most scalable solution to provide that electricity is to construct gas-fired power plants. You see the connection between data centers and Marcellus/Utica natural gas. According to MDN friend Mark Caskey, founder and CEO of Steel Nation, supplying electricity for data centers is natural gas’s next big role. He should know. Read More “Data Centers are “The Next Big Thing” for M-U Natural Gas”
Did you know that artificial intelligence (AI) services like ChatGPT “isn’t great for the planet”? That you should be using AI responsibly. And that you can choose an AI model that “harms the planet less.” This is the lunacy now coming from the left. Last week, on the same day, both the New York Times and the Washington Post (the epitome of leftist groupthink) published stories warning readers that using AI is killing the planet. Here we go again. Yeah, you should just remain dumb and give up your use of AI. That’s the solution! 
Pennsylvania’s community colleges stand to be big winners in the data center sweepstakes. In January, MDN brought you the news that TECfusions, based in Tampa, Florida, had purchased 1,395 acres in Upper Burrell (Westmoreland County), PA, for a groundbreaking data center project called TECfusions Keystone Connect (see 
We’ve reported, with some excitement, the recent news about a host of new AI data centers coming to the Keystone State (Pennsylvania), including several large projects in southwestern PA and Amazon’s big announcement last week about spending $20 billion on at least three data centers in the eastern part of the state (see 
Yesterday, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro took credit for brokering a deal that will see Amazon build at least three huge data centers (which Democrats typically dislike) in eastern Pennsylvania, investing $20 billion to do so. It is a huge coup 
The editors of the Pottsville, PA, Republican Herald newspaper in northeastern Pennsylvania raise an important issue that should be considered in light of the flurry of announced (and rumored) data centers planned for northeastern PA. The editors look forward to the massive economic boom such centers would create. However, as with any industry, there are drawbacks, negatives to be aware of and plan for. In the case of data centers, the lack of zoning ordinances may bite municipalities on the backside. It’s time to address these issues now, before these massive facilities are built. 
In January, MDN brought you the news that TECfusions, based in Tampa, Florida, had purchased 1,395 acres in Upper Burrell (Westmoreland County), PA, for a groundbreaking data center project called TECfusions Keystone Connect (see 
Yesterday, the first of what will no doubt be many such events, the Appalachian AI Energy Conference (sponsored by Shale Directories) was held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Pittsburgh/Southpointe. Event speakers explored why Appalachia is uniquely suited to meet AI’s massive energy needs. CNX’s VP of sustainable development, Brent Bobsein, spoke about the region’s “massive opportunity.” 
The Marcellus/Utica region is the United States’ top natural gas production area, accounting for about one-third of the country’s daily output. Natural gas production in the M-U has soared from 2 Bcf/d (billion cubic feet per day) to over 33 Bcf/d today in the past 15 years. Growth has slowed in recent years due to pipeline constraints, but new pipeline projects, rising Gulf Coast LNG demand, and in-basin data center development could drive a resurgence. Despite past challenges like canceled pipelines and a focus on the Permian, our region’s vast potential and improving infrastructure suggest a breakout, according to RBN Energy. However, low gas prices and regulatory hurdles remain big concerns, though data centers and LNG exports could boost demand significantly. 
In January, MDN brought you the news that TECfusions, based in Tampa, Florida, had purchased 1,395 acres in Upper Burrell (Westmoreland County), PA, for a groundbreaking data center project called TECfusions Keystone Connect (see 
The data center high tide is lifting all gas drilling boats. That’s according to a new study from S&P Global Commodity Insights that finds the expectations of a coming boom in demand for electricity for data centers, which will create a boom in demand for natural gas to produce the electricity, is causing gas drilling companies to increase in value. It’s hard to accurately quantify the value for private companies, but for public companies (those with stock that trade on the open market), we can confirm that over the past year, the value for drillers with significant operations in the Marcellus/Utica has, on average, risen dramatically. 
In January, MDN brought you the news that TECfusions, based in Tampa, Florida, had purchased 1,395 acres in Upper Burrell (Westmoreland County), PA, for a groundbreaking data center project called TECfusions Keystone Connect (see 
Data centers and the gas-fired power plants that will provide electricity to them are all the rage these days, particularly in Pennsylvania. After years of no new gas-fired power plants being announced in the Keystone State due to the attempt by PA’s governors to inflict a carbon tax on them, there has been a flurry of new announcements (see 
AI, artificial intelligence, has been in the news a lot lately, particularly in the Marcellus/Utica region. Most of the stories we’ve brought you deal with huge new AI data centers being built in the M-U region, requiring a big increase in electricity to power them. Most of the electricity comes from natural gas-fired power plants. But this post is not about AI data centers, it’s about how energy companies, like Encino Energy, are using AI to drill better, faster, cheaper, and smarter. It’s about how AI is helping our companies become better at what they do—extracting and flowing natural gas and oil.