Score another victory for the forces of evil, by which we mean leftwing, wackadoodle anti-fossil fuel extremists. Just a short time ago MDN received the statement below from PennEast Pipeline that states, in our words, they’ve given up. Throwing in the towel. Dead. PennEast will not get built. You can’t say we didn’t warn you this may happen.
Read More “PennEast Pipeline Throws in the Towel – Project Won’t Get Built”
Enbridge Gas is holding a binding open season for C1 (methane) transportation services from St. Clair (DTE) and/or Bluewater to the Dawn Hub in Toronto, Ontario (Canada) starting Nov. 1, 2023 for a minimum of five years. Shippers seeking access to a reliable, cost-effective means to move gas from St. Clair (DTE) and/or Bluewater to Dawn can submit bids for up to 62,000 GJ/d of annual capacity (12-month term) and up to 107,000 GJ/d capacity for winter only (5-month term). Marcellus/Utica gas is eligible since it finds its way all the way to the Dawn Hub.
Read More “Enbridge Open Season to Transport NatGas to Dawn Hub”
Some deeply disturbing news out of New Jersey. You may recall that PennEast Pipeline, a 120-mile, primarily 36-inch pipeline that will cost $1 billion to build and run from Dallas, Luzerne County, in northeastern Pennsylvania, and terminate at Transco’s pipeline interconnection near Pennington, Mercer County, New Jersey, won a huge and important victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in June (see PennEast Pipeline Squeaks Out 5-4 Supreme Court Victory Over NJ). The victory allows PennEast to use eminent domain to run the pipeline across property owned or controlled by the State of New Jersey. Yet PennEast notified federal court this week it is withdrawing its eminent domain case against NJ for 42 properties the state either controls or owns. What the heck is going on?
Read More “Troubling: PennEast Pipeline Withdraws NJ Eminent Domain Lawsuits”
In early March MDN told you that Duke Energy had begun work on building a 14-mile natural gas pipeline near Cincinnati, OH to replace an old pipeline built in the 1950s (see Duke Energy Finally Begins to Build 14-Mile Cincinnati NatGas Pipe). It seems no sooner had work begun than another frivolous lawsuit by antis brought it to a halt. This latest case, argued before the Ohio Supreme Court, was decided yesterday. In a unanimous decision, the court rejected antis’ arguments. The pipeline can finally get built beginning this month.
Read More “OH Supremes Rule Duke Energy Can Build 14-Mile Cincinnati Pipeline”
For years landowners who have been organized and hoodwinked by Big Green groups have attacked the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project on its legally and federally delegated right to use eminent domain to condemn property for landowners who have refused to negotiate in good faith. One such case remains, holding on…just barely.
Read More “Va. Landowners Still Fighting MVP Eminent Domain; PennEast Impacts”
In case you hadn’t heard, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned and left office in disgrace a month ago. In his place, for the balance of his original term, is the former Lt. Gov. Kathy Hockul. She’s not much better (a far-left liberal Democrat), but at least she’s not corrupt like Cuomo was. A group of leftists trying to block an almost done, very small natural gas pipeline in Brooklyn, NY tried their best but could not convince the Cuomo administration’s Dept. of Public Service to reject it. In fact, the DPS voted unanimously in August to approve a rate hike to finance the Metropolitan Natural Gas Reliability Project. Since antis couldn’t get Lord Cuomo to along, they’re now hoping they can pressure Hokul to cancel it instead.
Read More “Anti-Fossil Fuelers Pressure New NY Gov to Block Brooklyn Pipe”
Robert Rapier, a chemical engineer in the energy industry, often writes for both the Forbes.com and OilPrice.com websites. Excellent writer. Rapier recently concluded a four-article series examining Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) programs in the oil industry, with an emphasis on how some companies are using hydrogen to improve their metrics. The last article in the series (below) tackles the issue of how hydrogen could/might/maybe become a “game-changer” for midstreamers in the oil and gas space. Our takeaway from reading his article is this…
Read More “Hydrogen Still in its Infancy for Midstream Oil & Gas”
Natural gas pipeline operators have some work to do to protect their pipelines (and consequently the public) from nefarious hackers who seek to shut them down. That was the upshot from a panel discussion at last week’s LDC Gas Forums Midcontinent conference in Chicago. One simple way pipelines and the customers who use them leave themselves open to attack: They don’t encrypt gas nominations.
Read More “Natural Gas Pipelines Falling Short on Cybersecurity Protection”
Exactly one month ago MDN brought you the news that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has provisionally approved a request by Equitrans’ Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) to change the method it uses to cross 136 streams and 47 wetlands (see FERC Approves MVP Plan to Use Trenchless Water Crossings). As part of that process, FERC invites public comments on their decision. Joe Biden’s EPA and the federal New River Gorge National Park and Preserve have both expressed concerns with certain aspects of MVP’s plan.
Read More “Biden EPA, New River Gorge Concerned with Change in MVP Construction”
Even with the onslaught of leftist attacks on the fossil fuel industry–in particular against natural gas pipelines–there are still some 45 major natgas pipeline projects projected to come online over the next five years. Of those 45, we count 16 that are located in the Marcellus/Utica (i.e. Appalachian) region. There’s certainly no guarantee all 16 (or all 45) will end up getting built. But if the 16 pipe projects in the M-U do get built, that will add another 7.9 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of M-U molecules flowing to other markets. Cool.
Read More “One-Third of 45 Active Major Pipeline Projects Located in M-U”
Back in June, we told you about an amusing circumstance when anti-fossil fuelers were all dressed up and ready to unload over a simple expansion of a compressor station in Sussex County, NJ–but then the Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) rep who was supposed to make a presentation couldn’t be there at the last minute because of “car trouble” (see Antis All Dressed Up to Bash NJ Compressor at Mtg, Rep Didn’t Show). The rep finally made it to a Sussex County Board of Commissioners meeting–yesterday. There were no antis present to heckle him. Instead, three members/reps from labor unions got up to speak, each of them strongly supporting the TGP East 300 Upgrade project.
Read More “Mtg for NJ Compressor Expansion Draws Only Supporters, No Antis”
Spire STL is a 65-mile pipeline that connects to and flows Marcellus/Utica gas from the Rockies Express (REX) pipeline to residents and businesses in the St. Louis, MO area. The pipeline began flowing gas in late 2019 (see Spire Pipeline Ready to Flow Marcellus/Utica Gas to St. Louis). In June of this year, three far-left Democrat judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overturned the certificate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued for building Spire STL, meaning the pipeline must now shut down unless FERC intercedes (see Fed Court Overturns Marcellus to St. Louis Pipe – Shutdown Coming?). Yesterday FERC interceded and issued a temporary (90-day) emergency certificate for Spire to keep operating.
Read More “FERC Issues 90-Day Emergency Cert for Spire Pipe to Keep Operating”
In May MDN told you that Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) had won Kentucky state approval to build a new 12-inch, 12-mile pipeline near Louisville to supply gas to 62 homes and businesses that can’t connect to LG&E’s local natgas utility system (see Pass the Jim Beam! Judge Clears Way for Gas Pipe Near Louisville, KY). The local Bernheim Arboretum has resisted attempts to build across three-tenths of one percent (0.028%) of Arboretum land–along an existing cleared path where electric lines already go (see KY Utility Hints at Defunding Local Arboretum Blocking New Pipe). Too bad for Big Green. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently granted a permit for the full 12-mile pipeline–including across Arboretum land.
Read More “Pass the Jim Beam! Army Corps Issues Pipeline Permit for KY Forest”
Last Thursday President “sleepy” Joe Biden announced he will nominate regulatory lawyer Willie Phillips, a swamp-dwelling D.C. functionary, to serve as a commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), replacing a fellow swamp-dweller, Neil Chatterjee. Phillips is currently chairman of the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia. He’s one of three people mentioned over the past few weeks to be the fifth and final FERC commissioner.
Read More “Biden Nominates D.C. Swamp-Dwelling Lawyer to FERC”
Appearing on a Barclay’s energy conference webcast yesterday, Williams CEO Alan Armstrong said his company plans to keep spending around $1.2 billion per year through 2026 to keep growing and expanding. One of the prime drivers of growth and expansion for Williams in the coming years is LNG exports. Feedgas to LNG plants continues to increase. According to S&P Global Platts, U.S. LNG feedgas demand will increase from 10.9 Bcf/d this year to 14.9 Bcf/d in 2026. Williams intends to deliver much of that increased demand to the plants that use it.
Read More “Williams Update: LNG Exports Will “Grow Pretty Dramatically””
Spire STL is a 65-mile pipeline that connects to and flows Marcellus/Utica gas from the Rockies Express (REX) pipeline to residents and businesses in the St. Louis, MO area. The pipeline began flowing gas in late 2019 (see Spire Pipeline Ready to Flow Marcellus/Utica Gas to St. Louis). In June three far-left Democrat judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overturned the certificate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued for building Spire STL, meaning it must now shut down (see Fed Court Overturns Marcellus to St. Louis Pipe – Shutdown Coming?). Spire appealed the decision, asking the full court, all of the judges (called “en banc”) to rehear the case. Yesterday the tone-deaf judges refused that request.
Read More “Tone-deaf DC Circuit Votes to Ignore Spire STL Pipe Appeal”