EIA Predicts 2027 Electric to be 72% Gas-Coal-Nuke, 21% Solar-Wind
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts U.S. electricity generation will reach 4,423 billion kilowatthours by 2027, driven by steady annual growth. That’s up 3.7% from 4,260 billion KWH in 2025. While natural gas remains the primary power source, its market share is slipping alongside coal, which is declining 5% annually due to plant retirements. Dispatchable (on-demand) sources of electricity generation (natural gas, coal, and nuclear) accounted for 75% of total generation in 2025, but EIA expects their share to fall to about 72% in 2027. EIA expects the combined share of generation from solar and wind power (unreliable renewables) to rise from about 18% in 2025 to about 21% in 2027. Renewables are still minuscule compared to dispatchable natural gas and coal—which is as it should be if you care anything about energy security. Read More “EIA Predicts 2027 Electric to be 72% Gas-Coal-Nuke, 21% Solar-Wind”
One of the significant stories of 2024 in the Ohio Utica was about Austin Master Services (AMS), a radiological waste management solutions company in Martins Ferry, Ohio, that processes and transports fracking waste for disposal. AMS ran into trouble when it ran out of money. The Martins Ferry facility in Belmont County, where waste is temporarily stored, had vastly exceeded its permitted limit of 600 tons (storing over 10,000 tons), resulting in a permit violation. The Ohio Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit against the company in March 2024 to compel compliance and require the company to clean up the facility. After the company didn’t perform, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) stepped in to handle the cleanup (see 
Ohio State Representatives Gary Click and Kellie Deeter have introduced legislation to establish a 13-member bipartisan Ohio Data Center Study Commission. This initiative responds to the rapid expansion of approximately 200 data centers across the state, which has sparked community concerns regarding agricultural land use, noise pollution, water consumption, and energy demands. The commission aims to provide a platform for public dialogue and develop a comprehensive report to guide future development. By evaluating these impacts, lawmakers hope to encourage smart, balanced growth that potentially prioritizes brownfield redevelopment over rural green spaces while ensuring long-term resource stability. 
On August 17, Eureka Resources’ Williamsport Second Street facility (one of the three wastewater treatment plants previously operated by Eureka) leaked some of its stored untreated frack wastewater, which ended up in the nearby Susquehanna River via a storm drain (see 
In November of last year, both New York and New Jersey issued the required federal water permits for the Williams Transco Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) natural gas pipeline project (see 
Yesterday, the Ohio Oil & Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC) met in a public forum in Columbus and voted to open another 6,570 acres of state-owned wildlife land (in Belmont and Harrison counties) to allow bids to frack under (not on top of) those areas. The Commission also awarded a contract to Grenadier Energy to drill under another wildlife area in Carroll County, 172 acres of the Leesville Wildlife Area. The state is getting an amazing $6,000 signing bonus, equaling $1.03 million, plus big royalties! 
Last October, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) accepted applications for large-scale power projects, also known as “dispatchable” generation, that can provide energy quickly during periods of peak demand under the state’s Next Generation Act (see 
We spotted a short article alleging EQT has “abandoned” a shale well in Washington County, PA, and thought it would be a good opportunity to (once again) discuss the misnomer of “abandoned” oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania. Let’s begin with the news as reported… 
Last summer, Texas Eastern Transmission Pipeline Company (aka TETCO, owned by Enbridge) filed to build the Appalachia to Market III Project, abbreviated A2M III (see 
Last October, a seven-member, all-Democrat group of Pennsylvania House of Representatives members announced a six-bill legislative package aimed at regulating the “responsible development” of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers in the state (see 
Despite claims by anti-fossil fuelers that the Tenaska Westmoreland Generating Station in southwestern PA would spread disease and death if built, it’s been up and running since 2018, producing power and generating revenue for both its builders and the community. Oh, and everyone is in good health. However, the plant has been operating under a state permit since it opened. It needs a federal Title V permit for long-term operation. The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the agency that issues such a permit and is proposing to do so, which (of course) has antis’ knickers in a twist (see 
Duke Energy is seeking regulatory approval for a $3.2 billion, 1,400-megawatt natural gas power plant in Anderson County, South Carolina. Scheduled for a February 2026 Public Service Commission hearing, the project aims for operations by 2031 to meet surging electricity demand in the region. Unlike other regional proposals, Duke’s facility avoids new interstate pipeline construction by utilizing the existing Transcontinental Gas Pipeline (Transco). The plant will use air-cooling technology to significantly reduce water use and has already secured turbines from GE Vernova. While Duke remains the primary owner, local electric cooperatives will hold a 7% stake in the facility. 
An interesting case in Ohio deals with whether or not natural gas can be taxed, depending on how it’s used. The Ohio Board of Tax Appeals ruled on Tuesday, January 6, that MGQ Terminal, Inc. is exempt from use tax on natural gas purchases used to process asphalt to customer specifications. Although Tax Commissioner Patricia Harris had assessed use tax for the period between 2013 and 2016 based on the determination that the company was engaged in a storage business, the board reversed this decision, finding that the company’s activities qualify as tax-exempt “manufacturing operations.” The board held that MGQ’s use of natural gas to heat, agitate, and blend refinery waste into homogeneous, specification-compliant products constitutes a transformative manufacturing process rather than mere storage. 
In a major disappointment, Republicans caved to Democrats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, releasing a so-called bipartisan spending package on Monday morning that keeps the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) budget largely intact. The spending package would fund several federal agencies and scientific bodies, including the EPA, the Departments of Interior and Energy, and the National Science Foundation, through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. The “minibus” bills, which will likely move to the House floor for a vote this week, allocated more than $38 billion to Interior, Environment, and related agencies, or $9.5 billion more than the Trump administration’s budget request. 
In November, Pennsylvania finally passed a budget—four months late. As part of the deal struck between Democrats and Republicans, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax scheme was permanently ash-canned (see