White House Joins 13 Governors to Gang Up on PJM re Data Centers
Wow, talk about strange bedfellows! On Friday, the White House joined the 13 governors whose states in whole or in part are served by the PJM Interconnection electric grid, the largest grid in the country, to propose a solution that “protects consumers” from soaring electric rates due to the addition of new AI data centers. While some of the ideas discussed were good, others (such as an anti-capitalist price cap) were not. We’ll explain. Read More “White House Joins 13 Governors to Gang Up on PJM re Data Centers”
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts U.S. electricity generation will reach 4,423 billion kilowatthours by 2027, driven by steady annual growth. That’s up 3.7% from 4,260 billion KWH in 2025. While natural gas remains the primary power source, its market share is slipping alongside coal, which is declining 5% annually due to plant retirements. Dispatchable (on-demand) sources of electricity generation (natural gas, coal, and nuclear) accounted for 75% of total generation in 2025, but EIA expects their share to fall to about 72% in 2027. EIA expects the combined share of generation from solar and wind power (unreliable renewables) to rise from about 18% in 2025 to about 21% in 2027. Renewables are still minuscule compared to dispatchable natural gas and coal—which is as it should be if you care anything about energy security. 
Duke Energy is considering constructing a 1,360-megawatt natural gas power plant on 1,600 acres in Davidson County, North Carolina. This is the first we’ve heard of this project, and judging by our research, the first anyone has heard of it. Prior to this, we were aware of two Duke gas-fired projects in N.C.—one in Person County and one in Catawba County (see 
At the end of November, Talen Energy, a leading energy producer in the U.S. (owns and operates approximately 13.1 gigawatts (GW) of power infrastructure) completed the acquisition of two gas-fired power plants for $3.8 billion: one located near Wilkes-Barre in northeastern Pennsylvania, and the other in Guernsey County, in eastern Ohio (see 
Last October, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) accepted applications for large-scale power projects, also known as “dispatchable” generation, that can provide energy quickly during periods of peak demand under the state’s Next Generation Act (see 
Data center forecasts — beyond existing data centers — made up 45% of the $47.2 billion in capacity costs in PJM’s last three capacity auctions, according to a report by Monitoring Analytics, PJM’s so-called independent market monitor. Data center load accounted for $6.5 billion, or 40%, of the $16.4 billion in costs from the PJM Interconnection’s December capacity auction (the most recent auction). PJM’s market monitor directly and unequivocally blames new data centers for higher electricity prices, instead of putting the blame where it really belongs: On Democrat governors who have restricted new gas-fired power plants. 
Despite claims by anti-fossil fuelers that the Tenaska Westmoreland Generating Station in southwestern PA would spread disease and death if built, it’s been up and running since 2018, producing power and generating revenue for both its builders and the community. Oh, and everyone is in good health. However, the plant has been operating under a state permit since it opened. It needs a federal Title V permit for long-term operation. The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the agency that issues such a permit and is proposing to do so, which (of course) has antis’ knickers in a twist (see 
Another new (to us) pipeline project in the Southeast with the potential to flow Marcellus/Utica molecules. We recently became aware of Enbridge’s Texas Eastern Line 31 Expansion Project. The project is designed to expand the capacity of the Texas Eastern (TETCO) interstate natural gas system in Madison County, Mississippi. The current proposal (not yet officially filed with FERC) includes approximately 10.2 to 11.5 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline looping, a 1.7-mile delivery lateral, and the construction of the new Ridgeland Compressor Station. The project is expected to provide between 125,000 and 160,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of additional natural gas transportation capacity, primarily intended to serve Entergy’s proposed Ridgeland Advanced Power Station (gas-fired power station) in Madison County. 
Constellation Energy Corporation has finalized its acquisition of Calpine Corporation from Energy Capital Partners, becoming the largest electricity producer in the United States, with a generating capacity of 55 gigawatts. This merger integrates Constellation’s zero-emission nuclear fleet with Calpine’s natural gas and geothermal assets. Prior to the merger, Calpine owned 79 energy facilities across the country, generating some 27 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, with a significant number located in the eastern U.S. Many of Calpine’s facilities use natural gas to produce electricity. 
Duke Energy breathlessly announced the launch of the DeBary Hydrogen Production Storage System, claiming to be the first U.S. project to demonstrate an end-to-end process for producing, storing, and combusting 100% green hydrogen. Located in Volusia County, Florida (near Daytona Beach), the facility uses solar energy to power electrolyzers that extract hydrogen from water. This stored hydrogen then fuels a turbine modified to burn hydrogen to meet peak electricity demand. Duke thinks that it can overcome the unreliable nature of solar power by using solar when the sun is shining to split water into oxygen and hydrogen, and storing the explosive hydrogen for later use. Below, we bring you the big claims by Duke Energy—in their own words—and then tell you why we consider their claims lacking. 
In November, Pennsylvania finally passed a budget—four months late. As part of the deal struck between Democrats and Republicans, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax scheme was permanently ash-canned (see 
Natural gas markets have experienced plenty of changes over the past few years. Some of those changes include rising associated gas production in the Permian, new pipeline and storage capacity, new LNG demand, and gyrations in prices. However, an RBN Energy blog article argues that all this was merely a prelude. RBN says the “main event” — a veritable transformation of gas markets, especially along the Gulf Coast — is about to begin. Buckle up! What’s coming? A doubling of LNG demand (to 32 Bcf/d!). Another 10 Bcf/d of new pipelines out of West Texas, plus at least 15 Bcf/d more along the coast. Production revivals in various shale plays. And don’t forget soaring demand for gas-fired power generation. 
Mixed signals are coming from Virginia’s regulatory agencies regarding a gas-fired project in Chesterfield. In June 2023, Dominion Energy announced plans to build four small “peaker” electric generating plants in Chesterfield County near Richmond (see