New York Forces Danskammer Energy Gas-Fired Plant into Bankruptcy
New York State, with its bizarre energy policies, has officially bankrupted yet another company. Danskammer Energy, which operates a gas-fired peaker power plant along the Hudson River in Newburgh, NY, had tried for years to upgrade the plant (since 2018), but finally threw in the towel in June 2024 (see Danskammer Energy Gives Up Trying to Expand Gas-Fired Peaker in NY). The state’s refusal to grant the necessary permits to continue operating has now officially driven the company into bankruptcy. Danskammer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week. Read More “New York Forces Danskammer Energy Gas-Fired Plant into Bankruptcy”
The name Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) pretty much says it all. PGW is a natural gas utility serving the Philly region. PGW is the country’s oldest and largest municipal-owned gas company, serving 500,000 customers. It’s NOT an electric company; it’s a natural gas company. Yet PGW is now seriously considering two strategies to reduce “carbon emissions” as part of its Low Carbon Pathways project. The first option involves full electrification, shifting from natural gas to electric systems for heating, cooking, and appliances. Again, PGW has ZERO electric infrastructure in place. In Philadelphia, PECO (formerly the Philadelphia Electric Company) is the sole local utility company responsible for delivering electricity. In other words, PGW is considering committing suicide (going out of business) by giving all of its business to PECO. Bring out Old Sparky. 
In early April, the EPA revised certain Biden-era oil and natural gas regulations, specifically aspects of the 2024 Clean Air Act rules (OOOOb/c, known as “Quad O”), to reduce compliance burdens and lower energy costs (see 
As we so often say, we love how creative and innovative the oil and gas industry is! We spotted an article that discusses how AI (artificial intelligence) is transforming oil and gas drilling operations across diverse environments—from Alaska’s harsh North Slope to deepwater operations off Guyana to U.S. shale fields like the Permian Basin and (yes) the Marcellus Shale. AI-driven systems now interpret real-time sensor data from drill strings, adjust drilling parameters automatically, optimize directional drilling, monitor drilling fluid chemistry, and evaluate cement integrity faster than human operators. Results include drilling speeds up to 50% faster and pressure-imbalance detection 10-12 minutes earlier than with conventional methods. 
Democrats are attempting to pull a new con job on the American public. They are, according to the New York Times and Grist, “recalibrating” their climate strategy amid economic concerns, moving away from aggressive anti-fossil-fuel positions that defined the Biden era. Americans now see the exposed face of environmental extremism that seeks to ban fossil energy, and they don’t like it. So, in order to cling to what little power they have left, the Dems are changing their messaging (spinning new lies and half-truths) that downplay their ongoing, irrational hatred of fossil energy. Don’t be fooled. 
In February, President Donald Trump unveiled a record-breaking $33 billion natural gas power plant in Piketon (Pike County), Ohio, to be operated by SB Energy, a subsidiary of Japan’s SoftBank (see 
The same three judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit who blocked the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) for *years* suddenly changed course in late April, ruling on an extension of MVP into North Carolina called Southgate. Big Green, represented by the Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices, sued to block a permit issued by North Carolina regulators for the Southgate project. While the three judges grumbled and complained about Southgate during oral arguments (see 
Earlier this year, the board of commissioners in Montour County, PA, voted unanimously to reject Talen Energy’s request to rezone empty agricultural land near Talen’s Montour Power Plant for a proposed data center (see 
We are encouraged by recent developments in two Pennsylvania townships, one in northeast PA, the other in southwest PA, with respect to moving forward with data center projects. We get it. People are up in arms, some feeling as though data centers are being “forced” on them by less-than-transparent builders. Noise. Lights. Water usage. All are concerns. However, as we’ve stated many times, reasonable people can work together, sort through the issues, and move these projects along. That’s what we’re seeing in Olyphant, PA, a suburb of Scranton in Lackawanna County, and in South Strabane Township in Washington County. 
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) issued its latest monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) on Tuesday. Using the official EIA dartboard, the STEO is the agency’s monthly best estimate of where energy prices and production will go over the next 12 months. There was a revision to the agency’s prediction about the spot price (at the Henry Hub) for natural gas in 2026 and 2027. Last month, the EIA predicted 2026 would end up with an average HH price of $3.50/MMBtu and 2027 would see an average of $3.18/MMBtu. On Tuesday, the EIA revised both numbers up. The agency sees an average price of $3.60 this year, up a dime from last month, and $3.46 in 2027, up a robust 28 cents. 
Yesterday, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Jessica Shirley visited the site of an orphaned well being plugged in Allegheny County, PA, to celebrate the plugging of the 400th orphaned well since Josh Shapiro assumed the governorship in January 2023. There’s nothing wrong with Shapiro’s bragging and chest-puffing, except that Ohio plugged 480 orphaned wells last year. Since January 2023, Ohio has plugged 1,214 orphaned wells, compared to PA’s 400 wells (3X more). Which makes us ask: Why does it take so much longer and cost so much more to plug wells in PA than in OH? 
There’s plenty of cheap, abundant, clean natural gas available in the Marcellus/Utica region. One of the biggest challenges (for drillers and landowners) has been moving those molecules to markets that need them, like New York State and New England. Every single inch of a pipeline project in the northeast is fought over, with radicalized environmentalists using lawfare as their favorite tactic to oppose projects. Their resistance is based on the false belief that fossil fuels like natural gas are somehow evil. But even though the enviro-left has done its best, there are several pipeline projects in the works that will flow molecules from the M-U into and through New York and into New England. 
Big Green groups rallied Tuesday in Peekskill (Westchester County, NY) against Enbridge’s proposed Project Beacon, a natural gas pipeline expansion that would increase capacity on the Algonquin Gas Transmission line. Radicals lied by saying the project would “burden ratepayers” already facing high living costs. How do you figure? Algonquin is a transmission pipeline, and its expansion will be paid for by Enbridge (and its shareholders), not by increasing local utility rates. Yet these liars are never called out for their false statements by the media. 
Sempra Infrastructure announced that its Port Arthur Pipeline Louisiana Connector has entered service, marking progress on U.S. energy infrastructure aimed at supplying global natural gas markets. CEO Justin Bird said the project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget. The pipeline will transport up to 2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of U.S. natural gas, including Marcellus/Utica gas, to Port Arthur LNG Phase 1, which is now under construction with a nameplate capacity of about 13 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). The project links with the Gillis Hub Pipeline and the LA Storage facility under construction. It includes 72 miles of 42-inch pipeline and a compressor station. 
In February 2025, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a plan by PJM Interconnection, the country’s largest electric grid (which covers all or parts of 13 states, including PA, OH, and WV), to fast-track the addition of new gas-fired power plants (see 
Yesterday, President Trump accused New York Governor Kathy Hochul of reneging on her pledge to allow the 125-mile Constitution Pipeline project to be built in the Empire State. The project was canceled in 2020 after New York repeatedly rejected the necessary permits. President Trump brokered a deal with New York Governor Kathy Hochul to resurrect the project last year (see