PJM Grid Caves to PA Gov. Shapiro Bullying Again, Caps Prices 2 Yrs
PJM Interconnection, the electrical grid operator that covers Pennsylvania (along with all or parts of 12 other states and the District of Columbia), has once again caved to the political demands of PA Gov. Josh Shapiro to artificially cap prices in its upcoming capacity auctions for the next two years. PJM caved for the July 2025 auction (see PJM Grid Caves to PA Gov. Shapiro Bullying, Blackout Risk Rises). And now, they’ve extended the same cap for another two years. It means electric ratepayers won’t see as high an increase in their electric rates (a good thing), but it also means the risk of a blackout has just gone WAY up. It means fewer gas-fired power plants will be built in the PJM region, which desperately needs them. Read More “PJM Grid Caves to PA Gov. Shapiro Bullying Again, Caps Prices 2 Yrs”
The Canadian province of Quebec has significant natural gas potential in the Utica and Lorraine shale formations and on the Gaspé Peninsula, yet these resources remain untapped due to politics. The left has hoodwinked residents into believing hydraulic fracturing is from Satan and that it will pollute groundwater and cause earthquakes. Quebec became the first jurisdiction to permanently ban oil and gas exploration in 2022, prioritizing climate mythology over energy development. Consequently, the province imports nearly all its supplies from Western Canada and the United States. The province’s future strategy focuses on transitioning to renewable natural gas (which emits as much CO2 when burned as shale gas) and hydrogen, while maintaining a strict moratorium on local extraction. 
Evolution Well Services, headquartered in Houston with a regional office in Pittsburgh, specializes in “electric” fracking — using natural gas from the well pad (instead of diesel fuel) to power turbines to create electricity that drives fracking pumps. We’ve written about Evolution’s e-fracking work in the Marcellus/Utica for years (
Anti-fossil fuelers are raising concerns (and stoking fear with county residents) about a potential Duke Energy natural gas power plant in Davidson County, NC, after the project appeared in the company’s long-range planning documents. We first told you about this project three weeks ago (see 
Maryland State Senator Kevin Harris (D-Prince George’s) recently introduced legislation that would allow Big Utilities, such as Exelon, to build and operate power-generation infrastructure using ratepayer funds. The Alliance for Competitive Power (ACP) recently released a study that finds allowing Big Utilities to re-enter the powergen market in Maryland would shift financial risks and cost overruns to ratepayers, whereas competitive markets protect consumers by ensuring shareholders, not the public, bear investment risks. ACP argues that allowing Big Utilities to re-enter power generation would reduce competition and raise prices for ratepayers. 
Virginia Senate Bill 253, introduced by State Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth), aims to shift energy infrastructure costs from residents to data centers, potentially saving households a whopping $65 annually. The legislation requires data centers—which account for 20% of Dominion Energy’s sales—to fund their own electrical substations and cover specific “capacity costs.” If the bill becomes law and the proposals in it receive approval from the State Corporation Commission (SCC), the typical monthly energy bill for data centers would rise by about 16%, while the typical bill for residential and other customers would decrease by 3% to 3.5%. Looks like Virginia, with more data centers than any other state in the union, is now closed for data center business. Too bad. 
Despite record-breaking domestic production, U.S. manufacturers increasingly face gas shortages and price spikes during extreme weather. While the shale boom promised cheap energy, insufficient pipeline infrastructure prioritizes residential heating, power plants, and long-term export contracts over industrial users. This disparity forced companies like Evonik and International Paper to halt production or pay exorbitant spot prices during recent winter storms. Consequently, manufacturing trade groups are urging federal regulators to reform pipeline contracting and prioritize domestic supply over exports. 
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) issued its latest monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) yesterday. The STEO is the agency’s monthly best estimate of where energy prices and production will head over the next 12 months. There was a major revision to the agency’s prediction about the spot price (at the Henry Hub) for natural gas in 2026. Just last month, EIA predicted the HH spot price would average $3.46 per million British thermal units (see 
Duke Energy, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest U.S. energy holding companies, serving 8.7 million electric customers and 1.8 million gas customers across six states as of early 2026. While the company dabbles in unreliable renewables like solar and wind, its bread-and-butter, go-to source for new electric power generation is natural gas, which it gets from the Marcellus/Utica. We’ve reported on many of Duke’s announced new gas-fired power plant projects (
In December, MDN told you that three anti-shale drilling groups—the PA Council of Trout Unlimited, the Keystone Trails Association, and the Responsible Drilling Alliance—requested the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) hold a hearing on the Chapter 105 permit requested for a 3.9-mile shale gas access road and staging area proposed by PA General Energy (PGE) in the Loyalsock State Forest (see 
Antis somehow got to the board of commissioners in Montour County, PA. Yesterday, the commissioners voted unanimously to reject Talen Energy’s request to rezone empty agricultural land near Talen’s Montour Power Plant (converted from coal to run on Marcellus gas in 2023) for a proposed data center. This decision followed community concerns stoked by lying groups like Food & Water Watch regarding “potential environmental impacts” on the nearby Montour Preserve. 
A Cleanview report reveals that nearly 75% of planned on-site power for U.S. data centers is natural gas-fired as operators bypass traditional grid connections. Driven by surging AI demands and grid delays of up to seven years, this trend involves 46 projects totaling 56 gigawatts. While developers publicly highlight renewables, immediate capacity remains dominated by gas due to its reliability. Development is concentrated in gas-rich regions like Texas and Pennsylvania. To overcome equipment shortages, some firms use creative solutions, such as repurposed jet engines. This shift underscores natural gas’s vital role in supporting the rapid expansion of American AI infrastructure. 
McKinsey & Company’s 2025 LNG Buyers Survey (full copy below) reveals a strategic shift toward flexibility and risk mitigation as global markets stabilize with upcoming supply from North America and the Middle East. Faced with geopolitical uncertainty, buyers are prioritizing supply diversification and flexible contract terms, specifically regarding destination and volume. While demand is expected to rise in Asia due to price-sensitive coal-to-gas switching, European demand will likely decline as renewables expand. To manage volatility, 70% of buyers are pursuing a mix of short- and long-term contracts (instead of just long-term). Overall, the survey emphasizes that adaptive procurement strategies are essential for navigating today’s evolving energy landscape. 
In an op-ed appearing on the Fox News website, Dan Doyle, the president of Reliance Well Services and Arena Resources, draws on decades of firsthand experience to defend hydraulic fracturing against activist criticism. He argues that fracking is a safe, highly regulated process that is essential to American energy independence and economic prosperity. By debunking common myths regarding groundwater contamination and seismic activity, Doyle emphasizes that technological advancements have significantly minimized environmental risks. Furthermore, horizontal fracking has lowered energy costs for families and reduced reliance on foreign energy sources. Ultimately, Doyle contends that the industry’s benefits to national security and the economy far outweigh the concerns raised by what he characterizes as misinformed rhetoric. 
We’ve recently begun actively tracking flow restrictions on pipelines that carry Marcellus/Utica molecules. Current pipeline flow data for February 2026 show that the Marcellus/Utica (M-U) region is experiencing significant, albeit weather-driven, volatility. While the basin remains a production powerhouse, a combination of recent Arctic weather and localized maintenance has triggered several flow restrictions, including a restriction along the Tennessee Gas Pipeline.