Gov-Elect Josh Shapiro’s Statements on Energy, Marcellus
In our opinion, Pennsylvania voters made a major mistake in electing Attorney General Josh Shaprio as their next governor (see Red Tsunami that Wasn’t – Repubs May Take House, PA Biggest Loser). But that ship has now sailed. We must now deal with what is, not what might have been (sad as that is). We have pointed out in many posts over the years that Shapiro as AG targeted Marcellus companies, attempting to turn industrial accidents into crimes years after the fact (see our Shapiro stories here). Actions always speak louder than words. However, Shapiro did offer words of nominal support for the Marcellus industry during his candidacy. What has he said about energy and the Marcellus? And how will we know whether he truly supports the industry or not?
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EPA Administrator Michael Regan, who President Joe Biden picked to lead the agency in early 2021, has been every bit the radical we feared he would be. An investigation by Fox News Digital found Regan has held secret meetings with the leaders of Big Green groups–including the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and League of Conservation Voters (LCV)–groups that actively seek to destroy the U.S. fossil fuel industry and are funded with foreign “dark money.” If this were a different administration and Donald Trump’s EPA was found to be having secret meetings anti-renewable energy organizations, it would be plastered on the front page of every newspaper in the land–for weeks. But Regan meeting with and colluding with these foreign-backed groups? Not a peep.
EQT has sued its own (former) law firm, Baker Botts, and one of the partners at the firm, for allegedly giving the company bad advice with respect to the Hammerhead Pipeline gathering system owned by Equitrans Midstream (EQT’s former subsidiary). The lawsuit seeks at least $1 million in damages. Baker Botts is based in Texas, so the lawsuit was filed in the 61st District Court in Harris County, TX. Hammerhead is a $555 million, approximately 190-mile gathering system created by Equitrans to gather EQT’s production in southwest PA and haul it (64 miles) to Mobley, WV, where it will connect with the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and EQT’s Ohio Valley Connector pipeline (see 
The Catholic nuns of Lancaster County’s Adorers of the Blood of Christ are still, all these years later, trying to shake down Williams for more money because of a pipeline that runs underneath a cornfield owned by the sisters (hence our nickname for them). Using lawyers from Big Green groups, the nuns argued their “religious beliefs” were offended by the pipeline because it flows a nasty, filthy fossil fuel that causes global warming. We’ve lost track of how many lawsuits the sisters have filed, using OPM (other people’s money). The most recent lawsuit, filed in the Philadelphia-based U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals, was just shot down by the court.
Howard Energy Partners (HEP) is a midstream/pipeline company that owns and operates natural gas and crude oil pipelines, natural gas processing plants, refined products storage terminals, deep-water dock and rail facilities, fractionation facilities, hydrogen production facilities, renewable diesel logistics facilities, and other related midstream assets in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Mexico. The company owns more than 600 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines with some 100+ of those miles located in the PA Marcellus. Yesterday, Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) announced it has purchased a controlling interest (87%) in HEP. AIMCo is the new owner.
Once a month, the analysts at the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) grab the official Henry Hub pricing dart board and play a quick game to determine what price they will predict for the average Henry Hub spot price for natural gas for the rest of this year, and an average price for all of next year. Two months ago (in September), EIA predicted in its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) that the Henry Hub average price for natural gas in the fourth quarter of this year would hit $9/MMBtu, and the average for all of 2023 would be around $6/MMBtu (see 
Bloomberg is reporting that “sources” are chattering that Dominion Energy, the majority owner of Cove Point, Maryland, LNG export facility with a 50% stake in the plant, is considering selling its stake. In July 2020, Dominion sold its natural gas pipeline business along with a 25% stake in Cove Point to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathway (see 
Anti-fossil fuelers continue to pressure the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (and Pennsylvania itself) over the grievous sin of approving the Shell ethane cracker plant project (see 
The oil and gas industry has had enough of Joe Biden’s unprovoked and vicious (we’d call them irrational) attacks. Biden demands more drilling, and the next day he says he’ll ban drilling. Biden says Big Oil is making too much money, then threatens to end the use of all fossil energy. Biden routinely does this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde routine. Recently, Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, held private talks with Big Oil about low inventories of heating fuel and diesel. “The tone was cordial,” say those who participated. The very next day, Mr. Hyde turned up to blast away at “outrageous” profits in the oil industry, demanding companies lower prices at the pump. Big Oil has had enough and is speaking out.
Just 30 fossil fuel companies account for “nearly half” of so-called planet-warming methane emitted by the world’s energy sector. That’s according to a new analysis by Global Energy Monitor. And get this, only three of the 30 are American fossil fuel companies. And those three are WAY down the list. The #1 leakiest methane emitter on the planet is the National Iranian Oil Company. The #2 biggest emitter is Gazprom (Russia). And #3 is China Energy. In fact, the top 10 biggest methane emitters are located in the Middle East, China, or Russia. All of them are enemies of the United States.
A group of so-called environmental organizations that are IRS tax-exempt is really nothing more than a political front for the Democrat Party. We’re talking about PennEnvironment, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, and the odious National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), three groups that have collectively poured nearly $5 million into advertisements this election cycle supporting the anti-drilling, anti-fracking, anti-Marcellus Josh Shapiro. Why these organizations are still tax-exempt is a mystery to us, as they are completely partisan (Democrat), a violation of the federal tax code.
We continue to be impressed with CNX Resources and its CEO Nick DeIuliis. CNX and the CNX Foundation are having a huge impact on the southwestern Pennsylvania (and tri-state) region where the company operates. In the past, we’ve told you about CNX and the work it is doing supporting underserved communities and populations in the tri-state region with $30 million in donations (see