4th Circus Clown Judges Badmouth MVP Southgate in Oral Arguments
Quick, send in the clowns. Don’t bother, they’re here. We’re referring to three extremely liberal Democrat judges who sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (4th Circuit). These three judges, for years, blocked the construction of the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) until an Act of Congress forced them to back off and allow it to get built (see 4th Circuit Sees the Light, Dismisses Remaining Two MVP Lawsuits). These three are now considering a request from their donors (Sierra Club, Appalachian Voices, et. al.) to block the construction of an extension of MVP from Virginia into North Carolina, called Southgate. The early signals are that the clowns will do just that. Read More “4th Circus Clown Judges Badmouth MVP Southgate in Oral Arguments”
Last November, the Buckeye Environmental Network, backed by lawyers from the controversial Earthjustice, sued the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) over permitting two new shale wastewater injection wells in the Marietta area, claiming the standard used to evaluate the wells was old and out-of-date (see 
Earlier this year, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the Williams Transco Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (see 
It’s fun to watch mainstream media begin to wake up to the lawsuit we told you about last week, filed by a father and son against New York State over its fracking ban (see 
Olympus Energy (now owned by EQT) drills in the Greater Pittsburgh region, in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. In 2021, Olympus applied to build a new well pad in a rural part of Allegheny County, in West Deer Township. So-called Concerned Residents of West Deer (CROWD) got amped up to oppose the project. They succeeded when town supervisors rejected the Dionysus well pad (see 
Last week, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced S.4340. This bill would bar frivolous lawsuits from green activist groups seeking damages, injunctions, or other relief for so-called harms allegedly caused by the end use of energy products, including oil and gas. Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Mike Lee (R-UT) are cosponsoring the legislation. The House’s companion bill, H.R. 8330, was also introduced by Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY). The bill is being called the “Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026.” An appropriate title. 
Connecticut gubernatorial candidate Betsy McCaughey (Republican) has sued New York Governor Kathy Hochul (Democrat), alleging a violation of the Interstate Commerce Clause for blocking the Constitution Pipeline. McCaughey claims Hochul’s actions prevent cheaper Marcellus Shale natural gas from reaching New England, thereby increasing Connecticut’s electricity rates. McCaughey, who lives in Greenwich, claims legal standing to sue as a consumer and ratepayer. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, aims to force New York to allow construction of the pipeline, which she argues would provide Connecticut residents with more affordable energy. Do-nothing Governor Ned Lamont (lifer Democrat, running for a third term) dismissed the suit as a political stunt. 
We believe this is the end of the legal road for the Briggs family’s lawsuit against Southwestern Energy (now part of Expand Energy) in a case that centers on whether hydraulic fracturing constitutes a trespass if it forces gas from a neighbor’s property, even if no fluid enters that neighbor’s specific property layer. In January 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in favor of Southwestern, retaining the “rule of capture” in the Keystone State (see 
A decision issued by the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court has helped to rein in attempted lawfare (the abuse of our judicial system) by an anti-fossil fuel group in southwestern PA. Protect PT, a group we’ve covered many times in the past, tried to assert “standing” (the right to sue) in a case involving an EQT well pad that needed to be moved by 178 feet from its original location. The local zoning board was happy to give the antis “standing” in their hearings, but when Protect PT didn’t like the board’s decision, they tried to appeal it to a court. The trial court told Protect PT the group didn’t have standing under the very specific requirements of the law. 
Virginia is officially rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax scheme this July after a liberal court deemed its previous withdrawal under former Governor Glenn Youngkin unlawful. This reentry forces utilities like Dominion Energy to resume purchasing carbon credits—modern-day indulgences for the “sin” of emitting carbon dioxide, the same thing mammals exhale with every breath. The cost will be passed on to ratepayers through monthly bill increases. Virginians have no one to blame but themselves when their electric bills soar due to this idiotic carbon tax that does nothing more than allow politicians to pass out money to their favorite constituent groups as a reward for voting them into office. Welcome to the USSR of Virginia.