Constellation Selling $5B of Its PJM Gas-Fired Plants to LS Power
In January, Constellation Energy Corporation finalized its acquisition of Calpine Corporation, becoming the largest private-sector electricity producer in the United States (see Constellation Closes on Buying Calpine, Now U.S.’s Largest Power Co.). As a condition of the merger, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the U.S. Department of Justice required the sale of seven power plants, including five in the PJM Interconnection. Constellation announced yesterday that it is selling the five PJM power plants to LS Power for $5 billion. Read More “Constellation Selling $5B of Its PJM Gas-Fired Plants to LS Power”


In December, Antero Resources announced a deal to sell its Ohio Utica assets to a partnership of Northern Oil & Gas (NOG) and Infinity Natural Resources (INR) for $1.2 billion in cash (see
The bidding war for Ascent Resources continues to bubble. Ascent, formerly American Energy Partners, is a privately held company focused 100% on the Ohio Utica Shale. Ascent, headquartered in Oklahoma City, is Ohio’s largest natural gas producer and the 8th largest natural gas producer in the U.S. The largest shareholder in the privately owned company is the private equity firm Energy & Minerals Group (EMG), with an “over 30% stake.” EMG wants to sell that stake in one of its portfolio companies to another EMG company. That action set off a firestorm with one major investor (the Abu Dhabi Investment Council) suing to block the transfer, and several other investors, including Mason Capital Management, making offers to buy the company lock, stock, and barrel. Mason issued a press release yesterday, “demanding” answers from Ascent, accusing the board of stonewalling.
In December, Antero Resources announced a deal to sell its Ohio Utica assets to a partnership of Northern Oil & Gas (NOG) and Infinity Natural Resources (INR) for $1.2 billion in cash (see
Pipeline giant Williams Companies is exploring a strategic return to natural gas production to create an integrated “one-stop shop” for AI hyperscalers and data center operators. By potentially acquiring upstream assets to complement its 33,000-mile pipeline network and new power-generation projects such as the Socrates facility in Ohio, Williams aims to offer a turnkey energy solution that bypasses traditional grid constraints. This move toward a “bundled” model reverses a decade of industry specialization, positioning the firm to capitalize on the massive power demands of artificial intelligence. Investors are watching for official confirmation during the company’s 2026 analyst day tomorrow.
Not that he isn’t already a very rich man, but Coterra Energy CEO Tom Jorden stands to rake in an additional $6 million to $9 million (possibly much more) from a “golden parachute” if the proposed merger between Coterra and Devon Energy goes through. Based on the reports following the merger announcement between Coterra and Devon, Coterra’s upper management (in particular, Jorden) is protected by substantial “golden parachute” (change-in-control) agreements. These agreements were specifically updated just before the deal was made public to ensure executive retention and fair treatment during the transition.
The rumor mill is in overdrive today with news that Coterra Energy is in serious talks with Devon Energy exploring a potential merger “that would be among the biggest oil and gas deals in years.” While the primary driver of this deal is gaining massive scale in the Permian Basin, Coterra’s substantial Marcellus Shale assets in northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) are a major point of speculation for analysts and investors. It appears possible (likely?) that a combined company would sell off the PA Marcellus assets.
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