Electrical Generation

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    Williams Hillabee Project Goes Online, NatGas Flowing to Florida

    We have a correction to a previous story. In June MDN brought you the news that the Sabal Trail Transmission pipeline, a $3.2 billion, 515-mile interstate natural gas pipeline in Florida, Georgia and Alabama, had been placed into service, flowing natural gas to Florida electric generating plants (see Marcellus Gas Hitches a Ride to Florida Power Plant). We indicated in that story that Marcellus and Utica Shale gas, via Williams’ related Hillabee Expansion Project, was flowing to Florida. Not quite yet. In an announcement issued yesterday, Williams said yes indeed, the Hillabee project is now up and running–but for now, it’s flowing gas from the Haynesville Shale and the Midcontinent region. The announcement said that Marcellus/Utica gas would “soon” flow through the Hillabee expansion–just as soon as the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline gets built in Pennsylvania, which will flow Marcellus gas into a reversed portion of the Transco Pipeline…
    Read More “Williams Hillabee Project Goes Online, NatGas Flowing to Florida”

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    York, PA Elec Plant Dropping Coal for Now, Burning Marcellus Gas

    Brunner Island Power Plant

    The Brunner Island Power Plant is located in York County, PA, but straddles Lancaster County. It is a huge 1,490 megawatt coal-fired electric generating plant, and has been the target of environmentalists for years. In February, MDN told you that the new owners of the plant are investing $100 million to retrofit the plant so it can, at least part of the time, burn Marcellus Shale gas (see York County, PA Electric Plant Begins Using NatGas as Fuel). The plant was issued a draft permit by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) in April allowing the plant to discharge pollutants (into the atmosphere) and heated water into the Susquehanna River. The DEP is holding a public hearing on the draft permit, on July 24 in Manchester, PA. All of which sounds rather mundane. However, in coverage of the upcoming hearing, we read that Talen Energy (the new owner) “plans to burn little or no coal until 2019 as part of a ‘site evaluation.'” Now that is interesting. If true, that means either right now, or very soon, almost all (perhaps all) of the fuel powering the plant is Marcellus Shale gas…
    Read More “York, PA Elec Plant Dropping Coal for Now, Burning Marcellus Gas”

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    Actor James Cromwell Going to Jail for Blocking NY NatGas Plant

    James Cromwell as Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek

    It looks like Hollywood actor and anti-fossil fuel activist James Cromwell will get to enjoy prison food for a week. For the last couple of years, MDN has reported on a $900 million Marcellus gas-fired electric generating plant coming to Orange County, NY (see Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge). The CPV (Competitive Power Ventures) Valley Energy Center project has been vigorously opposed by local anti-drilling ninny nannies, including Cromwell. Cromwell is a spoiled rich kid from Manhattan who happens to own a home near the plant. He’d prefer to keep Upstate pristine, as his own private playground. Cromwell enlisted some neighbors and six of them got themselves arrested in December 2015 for blocking construction at the site (see Actor James Cromwell Arrested Protesting NY Power Plant Site). No matter. The plant is now under construction, as we reported in March. Construction of the plant is “moving full-steam ahead” and is on track to go online in early 2018. What about Cromwell and the other criminal protesters? The wheels of justice grind slowly. In June of this year, Cromwell and his fellow criminals stood before a judge, after being found guilty for their actions, and were fined $375. The judge told them to pay up by June 29 or go to jail. Cromwell defiantly said he won’t pay, he *wants* to go to jail (see ‘Wayawanda Six’ Convicted of Illegally Blocking NY Power Plant Project). Cromwell is going to get his wish–and get to sample jailhouse cuisine. Three of the “activists,” including Cromwell, have just been ordered by a judge to serve a one week sentence in Orange County Jail for refusing to pay the $375 fine–which is about how much Cromwell pays for a tip at one of his Hollywood power lunches. Cromwell’s lawyer begged and pleaded and got a tw0-week extension. Pay by July 14, or off to the clink…
    Read More “Actor James Cromwell Going to Jail for Blocking NY NatGas Plant”

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    Green Energy Device Generates Electric from Compressor Station Fans

    Click for larger picture

    Green electric generation has just come to pipeline compressor stations across the fruited plain–potentially in the Marcellus/Utica. If you’ve ever visited a pipeline compressor station–used to pressurize pipelines to keep the gas flowing along–one thing you will immediately notice is a ginormous fan (or more than one fan if there are multiple compressors at the site). Those fans are there to help cool the machinery working to compress and flow the gas. Here’s a genius observation: fans move air. Now let us tell you about some real genius. What if you attached something to that moving air, say a small turbine, and that turbine powered an electric-generating motor–so you could produce electricity. Maybe even enough electricity to power the entire compressor station. Now that IS genius! CEGEN (Clean Energy Generation) conceptualized, built, tested and is now selling such a device. Their “generator in a box” device has a constant, 24/7/365 source of “wind” to power it. It is green energy meets fossil energy–and it’s a match made in heaven…
    Read More “Green Energy Device Generates Electric from Compressor Station Fans”

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    Wind & Solar Powergen 3-4x More Expensive to Build than NatGas

    Our favorite government agency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, has done us all a huge favor. Yesterday we brought you a post by EIA’s Today in Energy that points out in 2016 some 81% of all the energy we used in the US of A came from fossil fuels (see Fossil Fuels Continue to Dominate American Energy – 81% in 2016). Today we bring you another post from the EIA. This one compares the cost to build new electric generation plants, as measured by how much it costs per megawatt hour produced, to build the plant. What the post points out is that the only source of new electric power that’s cheaper to build/produce than natural gas, is hydroelectric power. Dams. And even at that, hydro is not all that much cheaper than natgas. Wind is nearly triple the price of natgas to build, and solar is four times as much! So much for the renewable nirvana future that awaits us…
    Read More “Wind & Solar Powergen 3-4x More Expensive to Build than NatGas”

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    Marcellus Gas Now Powers Mohegan Sun Casino in the Poconos

    Mohegan Sun Pocono CEO & President, Anthony Carlucci, UGI Energy Services President, Joe Hartz, Director of Capital Expenditure for Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, Jeff Seidel, and UGI Business Development Manager, Steve Johnson, all spoke at and celebrated this milestone. In attendance also, was Cassandra Coleman with the Pennsylvania Governor’s office and Chief of Staff for Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Carroll, Ron Ralston.
    Click for larger version

    The Mohegan Sun Pocono casino, located near Wilkes-Barre, PA, is now powered by Marcellus Shale gas. On June 20 casino officials along with utility giant UGI and local/state politicians gathered to unveil an all-new co-generation energy plant at the casino. The plant uses Marcellus Shale gas to create electricity. The resulting heat is also trapped and used, to heat water, etc. (the “co” in co-generation). The plant cost $3 million to build. Roughly $1 million from a grant from the Commonwealth Financing Authority. The new plant reduces the Mohegan Sun Pocono casino’s so-called carbon footprint by 3,900 metric tons annually–it’s like taking 820 cars off the road. Here’s the story of how a fossil fuel–Marcellus Shale gas–is helping to clean up the environment, and make it cheaper to run the slot machines, at the same time…
    Read More “Marcellus Gas Now Powers Mohegan Sun Casino in the Poconos”

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    DC Court Tells Millennium FERC Can Override NY DEC Pipeline Delay

    An Appeals Court decision issued Friday has (in our opinion) HUGE ramifications for New York State and the Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) that has been corrupted by political influence from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. It also has ramifications in other states with overactive environmental agencies too. It is hard for us to overstate how important we think this decision is. The NY DEC has been corrupted and politicized by one of the most corrupt governors New York has ever had: Andrew Cuomo. The Cuomo DEC has unilaterally decided not to issue 401 water crossing permits for several federally-authorized pipeline projects, including Williams’ Constitution Pipeline, NFG’s Northern Access Pipeline, and a teeny tiny 9-mile pipeline Millennium wants to build from their main pipeline to an under-construction natgas-fired electric plant in Orange County, NY, called the Valley Lateral Project. Millennium took the bull by the horns early on, when it was apparent the DEC was following the same pattern of delay and then deny, suing the DEC (see Millennium Pipeline Sues Cuomo’s Corrupt DEC Over Expansion Delay). On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit dismissed the lawsuit by Millennium, which at first blush may seem like a blow. But it was the reasoning and opinion of the judges in dismissing the case that may change everything in New York. The judges said there is no case because if, as Millennium says, the DEC is denying the water permits, FERC itself has the power to jump back in and simply override NY DEC and issue the permits. This is a BOMBSHELL decision. That is, it’s a bombshell if FERC (with a soon-to-be-in-place quorum) exercises its constitutional authority…
    Read More “DC Court Tells Millennium FERC Can Override NY DEC Pipeline Delay”

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    Virginia Marcellus Power Plant Now Online, Boosts Local NatGas Price

    Marcellus Shale gas is now powering a Panda Power Funds electric generation plant supplying electricity for 778,000 homes in the Washington, DC metro area. Panda announced that its 778-megawatt “Stonewall” generating station in Loudoun County, Virginia is now online producing electricity for Northern Virginia/District of Columbia customers. MDN first had its eye on this project in November 2014 when we brought you the news that South Jersey Gas had won the contract to provide Marcellus Shale gas to the plant when built (see NJ Utility to Provide Marcellus Gas to Virginia Power Plant). South Jersey Gas is using the Dominion Transmission pipeline to get the gas there. Dominion upgraded their system last year in order to flow more gas to the project (see FERC OKs 6 Dominion Compressor Station Upgrades in PA, MD, VA). Incredibly, the Panda Stonewall project is estimated to contribute a mind-blowing $7.1 billion to the Virginia economy during its recent construction and the first 10 years of operation. No wonder communities love these natgas-fired electric plant projects! Since Stonewall going online, the spot price of natural gas traded at the nearby Dominion South trading hub has gone up 50% from prices of gas traded there a year earlier…
    Read More “Virginia Marcellus Power Plant Now Online, Boosts Local NatGas Price”

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    NEPA Moxie Freedom Power Plant on Track for May 2018 Launch

    Artist’s rendering for Moxie Freedom project – click for larger version

    In June 2014 MDN broke the news that Moxie Energy was in the hunt to begin a third new Marcellus gas-powered electric plant project in Pennsylvania, near Wilkes-Barre (see Moxie Energy in Hunt for Third Marcellus-Powered Electric Plant?). Indeed, our suspicions were borne out. In November 2015, Moxie selected Gemma Power to build the plant, and construction began a month later (see Moxie Marcellus-Powered Electric Plant Breaks Ground in NEPA). The 850-megawatt plant will use local Marcellus Shale gas to power it. Last September, Moxie contracted with EthosEnergy to run and maintain the plant (see Moxie Chooses EthosEnergy to Run NEPA NatGas Electric Plant). And since then, we haven’t heard anything. What’s the status of the plant? We spotted an update in a Wilkes-Barre newspaper from Caithness Energy (project builder) that says the project is on track to be “fully commercial next May, generating over 1,000 megawatts of electricity.” That’s interesting. Somewhere along the way the plant increased in size from 850 to 1,000+ megawatts. The update also states 23 of the 24 permanent positions are already hired and currently in training. Here’s the update…
    Read More “NEPA Moxie Freedom Power Plant on Track for May 2018 Launch”

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    Important New Report on Pipelines & Powergen in Marcellus/Utica

    Here’s a quote that nearly made our eyeballs drop out: “In the PJM queue, there’s roughly 130 planned gas-fired power plants scheduled to enter service through 2021 totaling 76 GW under various stages of development across a large part of the market that includes Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey.” Did you catch that? Some 130 natural gas-fired electric generating plants–most (if not all) of them fed by Marcellus/Utica gas, will go online in the next four years, generating 76 gigawatts of electricity. It is an enormous opportunity for our industry. Where did we read that stat? In a new report published by our friends at Natural Gas Intelligence (NGI). The report is called “Pipelines & Power: How New Infrastructure Could Uncork the Marcellus-Utica Natgas Bottleneck.” The opening article in the report contains the quote above (on page 2). This 20-page report is jam-packed with great information, like that quote. Actionable, useful, important information. Let us tell you a little more about NGI, about the report, and how you can get a copy…
    Read More “Important New Report on Pipelines & Powergen in Marcellus/Utica”

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    Siemens to Build “First of Its Kind” Natgas Turbine for Duke NC Plant

    Siemens, the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe with its headquarters in Germany, sought out and has cut a deal with Duke Energy to build a brand new, “first of its kind” advanced natural gas-combustion turbine for Duke Energy’s proposed 400-megawatt expansion at its Lincoln County Combustion Turbine Station near Charlotte. Siemens will build a single turbine able to generate 400 megawatts essentially on demand, as needed, for those times when extra electricity is needed (called “peaking” for peak demand). The project will be built in three phases beginning in 2018, with lots of testing, and won’t be ready until 2024. In return for allowing Siemens to build this new tech and test it out, Duke is getting a sweetheart deal on the price, although the price has not been publicly disclosed. So what does this have to do with the Marcellus/Utica? Long before 2024 there will be, at a minimum, Marcellus/Utica gas flowing to that region via the forthcoming Atlantic Coast Pipeline project. And by that time, seven long years from now, who knows? We expect there may be more pipelines built and in place not even conceived or announced–yet. This will be one more (added to the already 130 announced) power generation projects coming in the PJM region (see today’s companion story, Important New Report on Pipelines & Powergen in Marcellus/Utica). Here’s the exciting news about a brand new technology coming along to leverage abundant, clean-burning natural gas in the Marcellus/Utica and beyond…
    Read More “Siemens to Build “First of Its Kind” Natgas Turbine for Duke NC Plant”

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    Marcellus Gas Hitches a Ride to Florida Power Plant

    In April MDN provided an update on the Sabal Trail Transmission pipeline project (see Marcellus/Utica Gas Soon Heading to Florida Penninsula via Sabal Trail). Spectra Energy (and partners NextEra Energy and Duke Energy) are building Sabal Trail, a $3.2 billion, 515-mile interstate natural gas pipeline in Florida, Georgia and Alabama to deliver Marcellus gas to the southeast. The project has been underway for the past three+ years. Sabal Trail will connect to Williams’ Hillabee Expansion Project, which is a new pipeline spur built off the huge Transco pipeline system (see Williams Building Alabama Pipeline with Marcellus Connection). Williams is reversing a portion of the Transco to bring Marcellus gas south, much of it to feed natgas-fired electric plants. Last week the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorized a partial startup of the Sabal Trail project and the Hillabee Expansion that will feed it (see Sabal Trail Pipeline Begins Service Connecting M-U Gas to Florida). The new news is that it’s now flowing, and the first gas coming from the new pipeline system is now servicing Florida Power & Light Co.’s Riviera Beach power plant, with other plants getting our yummy Marcellus gas in the next few days…
    Read More “Marcellus Gas Hitches a Ride to Florida Power Plant”

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    NatGas Grudge Match II: Marcellus vs Permian

    Competition is good. Last week we told you about the coming competition between the Marcellus/Utica Shale play in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, and the Haynesville Shale play in Louisiana (see NatGas Grudge Match: Marcellus vs Haynesville). The Haynesville was not so long ago dead–no new drilling. But that is no longer the case. The Haynesville is gearing up to compete against the Marcellus/Utica (or perhaps it’s the other way around?) to sell gas into the Midwest and along the Gulf Coast. The Marcellus/Utica is getting a flurry of new pipelines to make sales to other regions possible. But the Haynesville is not the only new competition coming for Marcellus/Utica. The Permian Basin shale play, located in Texas, is coming on super strong. Why? As we point out in today’s companion story about EIA’s June drilling report, drillers in the Permian are drilling new oil wells like crazy. Thing is, when you drill a new oil well, you don’t ONLY get oil–you get other hydrocarbons too, like natural gas and gas liquids (propane, ethane, butane, etc.). Because the Permian is drilling so many new oil wells, it’s also causing a flood of new natural gas into the market. The Permian is now the #2 natural gas producing shale play in the U.S., behind the Marcellus. What does this clash of the titans mean? According to one analyst, “Everyone can’t grow and everyone can’t win”…
    Read More “NatGas Grudge Match II: Marcellus vs Permian”

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    Details on New Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant Coming to Robinson Twp

    In delicious irony, Robinson Township (Washington County), PA, one of the original seven selfish towns that sued Pennsylvania and eventually won at the PA Supreme Court, overturning a portion of the state’s 2012 Act 13 shale drilling law (granting towns the right to self-regulate some aspects of oil and gas drilling by using onerous zoning ordinances), is about to get a new Marcellus gas-fired electric plant. That is, a plant that burns the stuff they don’t like drilled. In April, MDN shared a list of five new Marcellus gas-fired plants coming in Southwestern PA (see 5 Big & Small Marcellus-Powered Electric Plants Coming in SWPA). In that list was a project called Beech Hollow Power Plant, to be built by Robinson Power Co. LLC. Other than a mention the plant would generate 950 megawatts of electricity (later revised to 1,000 MW), we really didn’t have any details. Until now. The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a press release last week to say a public hearing will be held on July 12 at the Fort Cherry Jr./Sr. High School Auditorium in McDonald, PA to accept comments on the project. In issuing the press release, the DEP also posted a couple of documents filed by Robinson Power in applying for the project. It’s pretty much everything you would want to know about the project, chapter and verse. We have it for you below…
    Read More “Details on New Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant Coming to Robinson Twp”

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    ‘Wayawanda Six’ Convicted of Illegally Blocking NY Power Plant Project

    James Cromwell as Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek

    For the last couple of years, MDN has reported on a $900 million Marcellus gas-fired electric generating plant coming to Orange County, NY (see Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge). The CPV (Competitive Power Ventures) Valley Energy Center project has been vigorously opposed by local anti-drilling ninny nannies, including Hollywood star James Cromwell. Cromwell is a spoiled rich kid from Manhattan who owns a home near the plant. He’d prefer to keep Upstate pristine, as his own private playground. Cromwell enlisted some neighbors and six of them got themselves arrested in December 2015 for blocking construction at the site (see Actor James Cromwell Arrested Protesting NY Power Plant Site). No matter. The plant is now under construction, as we reported in March (see Construction Update on CPV NatGas Power Plant Near Middletown, NY). Construction of the plant is “moving full-steam ahead” and is on track to go online in early 2018. So what about the criminal protesters? The wheels of justice grind slowly. This week Cromwell and his fellow criminals stood before a judge, after being found guilty for their actions, and were fined $375. The judge told them to pay up by June 29 or go to jail. Cromwell defiantly said he won’t pay, he *wants* to go to jail… Read More “‘Wayawanda Six’ Convicted of Illegally Blocking NY Power Plant Project”

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    Public Hearing Held for Harrison County, WV NatGas Electric Plant

    Tuesday night in Clarksburg, WV, the state Public Service Commission heard public comments about a non-utility utility–the Energy Solutions Consortium Harrison County Power plant project. The project is a Marcellus-gas fired electric generating plant that will produce 580 megawatts of electricity to sell to the PJM power grid serving 13 states. Hence our label of a “non-utility utility” project. Technically, the project is not a utility because it’s not regulated with strict price controls, like “traditional” utilities. However, it will sell electricity to regulated utilities. ESC was founded by father and son team Andrew and Matthew Dorn, based in Buffalo, NY. The Dorns are behind a series of WV natgas-fired electric plants, the first of which will get built in Marshall County (see Progress for 3 WV NatGas Electric Plants; 1 Breaks Ground in 2016). At the PSC hearing in Clarksburg, the usual Sierra Club nutters came out to complain. But there were also pro-fossil fuelers there as well, to promote this $880 million clean-burning power plant that will create over 700 jobs while it’s being built… Read More “Public Hearing Held for Harrison County, WV NatGas Electric Plant”