PA Dems Tout “Virtual Power Plants” as Solution for Data Centers
Here’s a question: Do you want the government to be able to control your thermostat (turning it down in the winter, or up in the summer), controlling your water heater (making it cooler), or controlling your “smart” refrigerator (raising the ambient temp inside), or controlling other so-called smart appliances, bypassing *your* preferred settings? Would you like the government to be able to grab stored electricity from solar panels on your roof or from the battery in your charged-up EV during times of electric grid “stress”? That’s what Democrat members of the Pennsylvania state legislature want to do. It’s called a “virtual power plant,” and it’s being sold as a quick solution to power shortages without having to build new gas-fired power plants (or new windmills, solar farms, etc.). Creating a virtual power plant just takes a little software and a lot of apathy from citizens to make it work. Read More “PA Dems Tout “Virtual Power Plants” as Solution for Data Centers”
The Energy Cooperative (TEC) has proposed a 24-mile-long, 24-inch natural gas pipeline across Licking County, Ohio, stretching from Bennington Township to the New Albany International Business Park. Estimated at $150 million, the project is designed to supply energy to a specific, unnamed data center, which will fully fund the construction. (We think we’ve identified the “unnamed” data center, which we’ll do below.) While TEC maintains the pipeline will enhance system reliability and stabilize pressure for its 58,000 members, the project faces scrutiny from local landowners. Concerns involve the potential use of eminent domain and the environmental impact on agricultural land. 
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that surging electricity demand, primarily driven by data center expansion and industrial growth, could significantly increase fossil fuel power generation through 2027. In a high-demand scenario, incremental power needs would likely be met by natural gas- and coal-fired plants, as generating capacity remains fixed in the short term. Consequently, natural gas generation could rise by 7.3%, while the projected decline of coal would slow significantly. This increased demand is expected to raise wholesale electricity prices nationwide. 
The West Virginia Senate approved House Bill (HB) 4983 on Wednesday, establishing the certification process for new data centers and the gas-fired microgrids intended to power them. This is a key piece of the “gas-to-data-center” story we’ve been following. The final version includes new language requiring developers to study water usage, addressing local concerns while still providing a regulatory pathway for the “behind-the-meter” generation projects that are currently the primary bridge solution for the AI industry. 
Even a leftist liberal putz like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro can have a good idea every now and again. (Credit where credit is due.) Shapiro is introducing what he calls GRID (Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development) standards to incentivize Pennsylvania data center developers to voluntarily adopt higher environmental and transparency benchmarks. In exchange for committing to water conservation, local hiring, and independent power generation, projects can access “Fast Track” permitting to accelerate construction. 
A study by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development indicates that a proposed 500 to 700-megawatt hyperscale data center at the Zediker site in Washington County, PA, could generate $407 million for the local economy and create 2,364 jobs. Owned by CNX Resources Corp., the former coal mine is being marketed for generative AI facilities, leveraging nearby natural gas supplies and remediated mine gas to power the operation. While no official deal has been struck, the project is expected to yield $67.5 million in tax revenue, positioning the site as a transformative hub for high-tech investment and regional prosperity. 
Two radical environmental groups, the Southern Environmental Law Center and Sierra Club, have sued Georgia regulators over the approval of four clean-burning natural gas turbines at Georgia Power’s Plant Bowen. The radicals claim that the expansion at Bowen (in Taylorsville, Bartow County, Georgia) will release hundreds of tons of smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) annually, thereby worsening air quality in the Atlanta region (Taylorsville is about 40 miles from Atlanta as the crow flies). The lawsuit claims the Georgia Environmental Protection Division bypassed stricter permitting requirements intended for areas with high ozone levels. Typical lawfare tactic. 
Quantum Pleasants has successfully completed a year-long validation of its Omnis Quantum Reformer (OQR) technology at the Pleasants Power Station in West Virginia. This breakthrough ultra-high-temperature pyrolysis technology produces hydrogen on-site at half the cost of existing methods by utilizing the state’s coal and natural gas resources. Independent evaluations confirmed the system’s safety and economic viability, paving the way for the 1,300 MW facility to become the world’s first large power plant to operate on 100% hydrogen fuel. Right here in the heart of the Marcellus/Utica! 
PJM Interconnection recently proposed reforms to its retail BTM (behind-the-meter) generation rules to support data center colocation. The filing, responding to a FERC mandate, introduces a 50-MW threshold for BTM facilities and three new transmission service categories. Under the plan, new loads exceeding 50 MW would be ineligible for “netting,” a process that currently lowers grid charges by balancing on-site generation against consumption. While existing contracts are grandfathered, industrial trade groups warn that removing netting rules threatens the economic viability of combined heat and power facilities, potentially discouraging manufacturing investments while aiming to address regional grid reliability and grid cost-shifting concerns. 
The far-left Southern Environmental Law Center, representing three radical nonprofits, has appealed the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s (SCC) approval of Dominion Energy’s $1.47 billion natural gas plant in Chesterfield County. The challenge is the first under both the Virginia Environmental Justice Act and the Virginia Clean Economy Act. Antis argue the 1,000-megawatt facility would disproportionately “harm” marginalized communities through increased pollution and significant health risks, including premature deaths. Critics maintain that Dominion failed to prioritize renewable alternatives or demonstrate a genuine threat to grid reliability, potentially placing unnecessary financial and health burdens on the public.