Pipelines

Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation

PA DEP Issues Permit for 8-Mile Water Pipe for EQT Shale Drilling
June 8, 2026June 8, 2026

Back in March, MDN alerted you to a potential new water pipeline coming in Lycoming County, PA, for EQT shale drilling (see 3 New PA Water Pipelines Coming to Support More Shale Drilling). The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) advertised for comments on a plan to issue a Chapter 105 Encroachment Permit for an 8-mile-long, 24-inch water pipeline project. Good news: The permit is now issued. Read More “PA DEP Issues Permit for 8-Mile Water Pipe for EQT Shale Drilling”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Research

New England Electric Prices 48% Higher in 2025 from Lack of Pipes
June 4, 2026June 4, 2026

ISO New England’s Internal Market Monitor reported that total wholesale electricity costs in New England reached $15 billion in 2025, up 48% from 2024. The increase was driven by higher natural gas prices, tighter supply, changes in the resource mix, and shifts in market design. Day-ahead energy prices averaged $71.81/MWh, up 73%, while real-time prices rose 67% to $65.89/MWh. Natural gas prices more than doubled to $6.27/MMBtu. Carbon taxes added $1.1 billion to energy costs. Boiling it all down, aside from carbon taxes, high natgas prices are the main culprit. The report (full copy below) has some thoughts about why natgas prices are so high in New England. Read More “New England Electric Prices 48% Higher in 2025 from Lack of Pipes”
Industrywide Issues | Pipelines

New England’s Lib Dem Governors Cave, Ready for New Gas Pipelines
June 2, 2026June 2, 2026

The governors of the New England states (all except for New Hampshire) are liberal Democrats. And most have, in the past, bad-mouthed fossil energy, including natural gas. In 2022, then-Massachusetts Attorney General (now Governor) Maura Healey bragged she had “stopped two gas pipelines from coming into this state” and that she opposed new natgas infrastructure in the state. She later tried to cover up what she had said (see Mass. Gov. Again Changes Story re Blocking Two NatGas Pipelines). Healey, along with Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, is now singing a different tune. They’ve caved on the issue of new natural gas pipelines and supplies coming into their respective states. Read More “New England’s Lib Dem Governors Cave, Ready for New Gas Pipelines”
AI | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines

On-Site Power Plants for Data Centers Drive New Pipe Projects
June 2, 2026June 2, 2026

Data center growth is driving new investment in natural gas midstream in 2026, especially for behind-the-meter gas-fired generation as grid interconnection delays persist. S&P Global Energy CERA has tracked 130 North American data center projects planning on-site generation, with more than 80% relying on gas. Major activity is emerging in Marcellus and Utica-adjacent markets, including UGI’s Pennsylvania deal with Prime Data Centers, National Fuel expansions in western Pennsylvania, and Williams’ Ohio Aristotle and Neo projects. Read More “On-Site Power Plants for Data Centers Drive New Pipe Projects”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines

M-U has More Supply Than We Can Use In-Basin for New Powergen
June 1, 2026June 1, 2026

Northeast natural gas demand (the amount we use in-basin, in the Marcellus/Utica) has grown by 46% over 15 years, reaching 20.1 Bcf/d in 2024, driven primarily by power-sector consumption, which has doubled since 2010 as coal plants have retired. Gas-fired generation serves to balance seasonal fluctuations in unreliable wind and solar, peaking in the summer months. Future growth in new demand for natural gas, says RBN Energy, faces “headwinds” from renewable expansion. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects a small increase of 230 MMcf/d in new gas supplies needed through 2030. However, six major data center projects—led by Frontier Group’s 3.6 GW Shippingport facility and Nscale’s 1.4 GW Monarch center—could add 1 Bcf/d in demand by 2029, totaling potential growth of 1.2 Bcf/d in new supply needed. However, there’s still an ongoing mismatch between supply and demand. Read More “M-U has More Supply Than We Can Use In-Basin for New Powergen”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | Litigation | Pipelines | South Carolina

KM Forced to Take SC Landowners to Court to Allow Pipe Surveys
May 29, 2026May 29, 2026

In April 2025, MDN told you about a new greenfield expansion of Kinder Morgan’s (KM) Elba Express pipeline into South Carolina to serve growing demand for natural gas in the state (see KM Pipes Update: Expand Elba to SC; SSE4 Survey Work Done). The $431 million Elba Express Bridge project is designed to provide 325 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of firm transportation capacity to a new gas-fired power plant in Colleton County, SC (see SC PSC Approves Gas-Fired Power Plant Proposed for Edisto River). KM sent letters to 185 landowners in South Carolina along the proposed route, requesting permission to survey their land for the project (see SC Landowners Receive Notice of Survey Work for Elba Express Pipe). Some 60 of those landowners have refused permission, forcing KM to take them to court. Read More “KM Forced to Take SC Landowners to Court to Allow Pipe Surveys”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | LDCs | Leatherstocking Gas | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Susquehanna County

PA PIPE Grant Expands NatGas to 131 Susquehanna Co. Homes & Biz’s
May 27, 2026May 27, 2026

Montrose, PA

Pennsylvania’s Pipeline Investment Program (or PIPE) grants cover part of the cost for building new natural gas pipelines to connect homes and businesses, typically in rural parts of the state, to homegrown Marcellus Shale gas supplies. We’ve written about many of these grants over the years (see our stories here). Last week, PA’s Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) announced another PIPE grant, this one going to a community in Susquehanna County, PA—the state’s most productive natural gas producing county. Read More “PA PIPE Grant Expands NatGas to 131 Susquehanna Co. Homes & Biz’s”
Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kentucky | Pipelines | TC Energy/TransCanada

TC Energy to Build 42 Miles of Kentucky Pipe for Gas Plant
May 26, 2026May 26, 2026

Maysville Project map (click for larger version)

Although TC Energy filed to build a new pipeline project in Kentucky last November, we’re just now learning about it. TC Energy is proposing the Maysville Project, a 42-mile pipeline expansion of its Columbia Gulf Transmission (CGT) System in Kentucky, to supply 340,000 dekatherms per day (328 MMcf/d) of Marcellus/Utica gas for East Kentucky Power Cooperative’s Hugh L. Spurlock Power Station in Maysville, KY. Traversing Rowan, Fleming, and Mason counties, this infrastructure project includes a new delivery meter station and interconnect in Maysville. Read More “TC Energy to Build 42 Miles of Kentucky Pipe for Gas Plant”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines | Regulation | Williams

Big Green, NY DEC File Separate Lawsuits to Block Constitution Pipe
May 26, 2026May 26, 2026

Well, you knew this was going to happen. Last week, a group of disgusting Big Green groups and the New York State Attorney General both filed separate lawsuits in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2nd Circuit), challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) decision to resurrect the Constitution Pipeline under the existing (but dormant) docket. NY AG Tish James, representing the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), argues that a brand new review should be done by the state to evaluate the project for compliance with the federal Clean Water Act. You may recall that NY previously lost its right to evaluate the Constitution project by stretching out its review for years, causing FERC to overrule NY (see Victory! FERC Overrules NY DEC to Allow Constitution Pipeline). Read More “Big Green, NY DEC File Separate Lawsuits to Block Constitution Pipe”
Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

FERC Seeks to Fast-Track Gas Infrastructure with Blanket Permits
May 26, 2026May 26, 2026

Last Thursday (May 21), the commissioners of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) unanimously proposed significant changes to the agency’s natural gas blanket certificate program, the most substantial overhaul since 2006. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) aims to roughly double the cost thresholds for pipeline companies to build and modify infrastructure without extensive case-by-case approval. It also expands eligible project categories and, for the first time, extends streamlined authorization to certain LNG facility activities. Read More “FERC Seeks to Fast-Track Gas Infrastructure with Blanket Permits”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | North Carolina | Pipelines | Regulation | Transco | Virginia | Williams

4th Circuit Panel Rejects Antis’ Plea to Block Transco SESE Work
May 21, 2026May 21, 2026

One week ago, MDN told you that a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (4th Circuit) heard oral arguments from Big Green asking the court to block construction of Williams’ Transco Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SESE) while a court case challenging permits issued for the project grinds slowly through the legal system (see 4th Circuit Judge Tells Antis to Post a $100M Bond to Block Pipe). This past Monday, the judges politely (in legalese) told Big Green to kiss off. Read More “4th Circuit Panel Rejects Antis’ Plea to Block Transco SESE Work”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Enbridge | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines

CT Sierra Club Lies About Enbridge Project Beacon Cost, Pollution
May 21, 2026May 21, 2026

Yesterday, MDN told you that Enbridge has launched an open season for customers to sign up for capacity along an expanded Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline in New England (see Enbridge Proposes Major Expansion of Algonquin Pipe: Project Beacon). While details about Project Beacon are still vague, the company has indicated it would replace sections of the pipeline with larger-diameter pipes in some places and run secondary pipelines (called looping) alongside existing pipes in others. Project Beacon also involves expanding some compressor stations along the route, and could include new gas storage facilities. A day after the project was officially announced, the Connecticut chapter of the radical Sierra Club launched a campaign to lie about and smear the project. Read More “CT Sierra Club Lies About Enbridge Project Beacon Cost, Pollution”
Enbridge | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines

Enbridge Proposes Major Expansion of Algonquin Pipe: Project Beacon
May 20, 2026May 20, 2026

Last week, the news broke that Enbridge is exploring a major expansion of its Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline into New England, and had briefed the Trump administration’s National Energy Dominance Council about its plans (see Enbridge Briefed Trump Admin on Plan to Expand Pipe into New England). Enbridge launched an open season on Monday for that expansion project. It’s called Project Beacon. Sound familiar? Sounds a lot like Project Maple. Read More “Enbridge Proposes Major Expansion of Algonquin Pipe: Project Beacon”
Duke Energy | Electrical Generation | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines

Duke Energy’s Large-Scale Powergen Expansion Adding 14 GW by 2031
May 20, 2026May 20, 2026

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. 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 (see our stories here). The company recently issued its first quarter 2026 report, which is a good opportunity for us to share a detailed list of the active gas-fired power plant and pipeline projects Duke is pursuing. Read More “Duke Energy’s Large-Scale Powergen Expansion Adding 14 GW by 2031”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Pipelines

MPLX Marcellus Utilization Hits 94%, Driving Gathering Expansion
May 18, 2026May 18, 2026

In 2015, MPLX (i.e., Marathon Petroleum) bought out and merged with the Utica Shale’s premier midstream company, MarkWest Energy, for $15 billion (see MarkWest Energy Investors/Unitholders Approve Merger with Marathon). The “new” MarkWest, aka MPLX, now plays on a much larger stage, owning and operating major assets in the Permian Basin, the Bakken Shale, and the Marcellus/Utica. However, the M-U still plays a starring role for the company. MPLX recently issued its first quarter 2026 update. MPLX is seeing increased natural gas gathering throughput in both Marcellus and Utica, indicating robust upstream activity. Read More “MPLX Marcellus Utilization Hits 94%, Driving Gathering Expansion”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | North Carolina | Pipelines | Regulation | Transco | Virginia | Williams

4th Circuit Judge Tells Antis to Post a $100M Bond to Block Pipe
May 14, 2026May 14, 2026

It seems that not all of the judges who sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (4th Circuit) are clowns, the way the three judges who oversee cases dealing with the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) Southgate project are (see 4th Circus Clown Judges Badmouth MVP Southgate in Oral Arguments). Another major pipeline project that, in some senses, competes with Southgate, Williams’ Transco Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SESE), is also being sued by Big Green to block it (see Big Green Sues to Cancel Water Permit for Transco SESE Project). The case is also before the 4th Circuit, where oral arguments were heard yesterday. The SESE case is being heard by three judges different from those hearing the Southgate case. Read More “4th Circuit Judge Tells Antis to Post a $100M Bond to Block Pipe”