Regulation

Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

Nobody Likes Proposed Changes to PA DEP Enviro Justice Policy
May 26, 2022May 26, 2022

In March MDN brought you the bad news that the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) had floated a draft reworking of its so-called environmental justice policy (see PA DEP Goes Hard Left with New “Enviro Justice” Policy Revisions). Under onerous new regulations proposed by the DEP, Big Green groups will be able to more easily challenge and block shale drilling and pipelines, accusing such projects of violating “environmental justice” policies. With the official comment period on the proposed new regs now closed, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has read through the comments and discovered the new policy is universally opposed and panned, by both the environmental left (saying it doesn’t go far enough) and by the shale industry (saying it goes WAY too far).
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Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

Dick Glick’s FERC Reappointment for 5 More Years NOT a Sure Thing
May 26, 2022May 26, 2022

On Monday MDN brought you the news that Joe Biden is renominating Richard “Dick” Glick to serve yet another undistinguished term at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (see Joe Biden Renominates Dick Glick for Another FERC Term). Glick, a Democrat and former wind lobbyist who is an extreme anti-pipeline radical, was first appointed under Donald Trump. Glick is currently the Chairman of the Commission. But what’s this? Republicans (and possibly Joe Manchin) are pushing back. Glick may not be able to garner 51 votes to keep his job. That’s the buzz around the D.C. swamp.
Read More “Dick Glick’s FERC Reappointment for 5 More Years NOT a Sure Thing”
Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | NGLs | Pennsylvania | Philadephia | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Regulation

Clean Air Council Claims Victory in Marcus Hook Air Permit Case
May 25, 2022May 25, 2022

The radicals of the Clean Air Council (CAC) are claiming a (very small) victory in their campaign against processing NGLs at the Marcus Hook refinery located near Philadelphia. CAC is CACkling that they have forced Energy Transfer, builder of the mighty Mariner East (ME) pipeline system (a pipeline that CAC couldn’t stop), to back down on how permits are issued for the Marcus Hook facility–the place where NGLs from ME end up for processing and loading for export. The end result is…well…not much. Nothing will really change. The same volume of NGLs will still flow to Marcus Hook, and the same volume of NGLs will be loaded onto ships and exported to other countries. The only thing that changes is that ET spends more time and pays more money to obtain a single large permit instead of two separate, smaller permits. We’ll explain.
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Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

FERC Approvals for New Interstate Pipelines Lowest Since 2016
May 25, 2022May 25, 2022

In a post on EIA’s Today in Energy, the now-politicized EIA attempts to prop up the tattered reputation of the Biden administration with respect to natural gas using the headline, “FERC approves new natural gas pipeline projects to increase U.S. exports.” We excitedly read the post hoping to spot a project or two that had escaped our notice, something that would end up flowing more Marcellus/Utica molecules to other regions. It wasn’t until the very last sentence we discovered the truth that even EIA could not ignore: “In 2021, we estimate that the United States added 7.44 Bcf/d of new pipeline capacity, the lowest amount added to interstate transmission since 2016.” In other words, new pipeline additions haven’t been this low since the last days of the Lord Obama administration.
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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Secretary Pat McDonnell Leaving Agency July 2nd
May 24, 2022May 24, 2022

Pat McDonnell – Sec. DEP

The ship of the Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf administration is slowly sinking beneath the waves as Wolf is term-limited and out the door, exiting stage left at the end of this year. So it’s time for senior members of his administration to look elsewhere for other jobs and hop off the sinking ship before it goes completely beneath the waves. First up to flee is Dept. of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell, who has been Wolf’s patsy in attempting to force the massive RGGI carbon tax on the residents of PA. We wonder, who will be next? And why is McDonnell really leaving now, seven months before the end of Tom Wolf’s term?
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Energy Services | Eureka Resources | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Susquehanna County

PA EHB Judge Rejects Request to Block Dimock Wastewater Plant
May 23, 2022May 23, 2022

In March 2021, Eureka Resources announced plans to build a Marcellus Shale wastewater treatment facility in Dimock (Susquehanna County), Pennsylvania (see Eureka Building Marcellus Wastewater Recycling Plant in Dimock, PA). Both Susquehanna County and Dimock Township approved the Eureka project (see Town, County Approve Marcellus Wastewater Recycling Plant in Dimock). The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has thus far issued one of two required permits. Seemingly out of nowhere, leftwing Democrat State Senator Katie Muth (from the Philadelphia area) filed an appeal with the DEP’s Environmental Hearing Board (EHB) attempting to block Eureka’s Dimock project (see SEPA Dem Attacks NEPA Marcellus Wastewater Recycling Plant in Dimock). EHB Judge Steven Beckman rejected Muth’s request last week for a temporary order blocking construction.
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Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

Joe Biden Renominates Dick Glick for Another FERC Term
May 23, 2022May 23, 2022

Richard Glick

How unfortunate–and predictable. The Joe Biden White House, an agency in complete disarray and dysfunction, announced on Friday that it will put forward Richard “Dick” Glick’s name to serve yet another undistinguished term at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Glick, a former wind lobbyist who is an extreme anti-pipeline radical, was appointed first under Donald Trump (big mistake on Trump’s part). Glick is currently the chairman of the agency, a position that wields a lot of power. Biden wants him to continue his destructive ways at the agency for another four years.
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Brooke County | Forced Pooling | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Landowners Sue to Block West Virginia’s New Forced Pooling Law
May 20, 2022May 27, 2022

Back in March MDN told you about a bill passed by the West Virginia legislature, Senate Bill (SB) 694, which finally brings forced pooling for shale wells to the Mountain States after eight years of trying (see WV House Passes Forced Pooling Bill, Done Deal When Gov Signs). Shortly after passage Gov. Jim Justice signed the bill into law. SB 694 is set to become active on June 7, which is 90 days following passage. However, two farmers from Brooke County have just sued Gov. Justice to overturn the new law claiming it is unconstitutional.
Read More “Landowners Sue to Block West Virginia’s New Forced Pooling Law”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | ESG | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

SEC Reg Requiring Disclosure of Climate Change Risk “Kneecaps” O&G
May 20, 2022May 27, 2022

In March the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), corrupted by the Bidenistas, said it will begin to force all publicly traded companies to disclose their so-called greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the imaginary climate risks their businesses face (see SEC Votes to Force Public Companies to Disclose Mythical GHG Risks). Companies will have to pretend they care about supposed man-caused global warming and cook up hokey methods for evaluating how much carbon dioxide not just their own company, but their customers “emit” into the air when using a company’s products (so-called Scope 3 emissions). A column in Forbes magazine says the SEC climate risk regulation is “the latest in a series of moves by President Joe Biden and his progressive coalition to kneecap America’s oil and gas industry.” It’s an apt description.
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Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Research

FERC Report: Summer Blackouts During “Extreme Conditions”
May 20, 2022May 27, 2022

Some interesting exchanges took place at yesterday’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) open meeting between the five commissioners. Chairman Richard “Dick” Glick released the agency’s Summer Energy Market and Reliability Assessment report along with a press release sugarcoating some of the strong language in the report. One of the statements in the Key Findings of the report is this little gem under Electric Markets: “Despite having planning reserve margins that exceed reference margin levels, all regions may face energy shortfalls [of electricity] during extreme operating conditions.” The two Republican FERC commissioners didn’t let Glick get away with sweeping it under the proverbial carpet.
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Air Quality | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Changing, Resubmitting Onerous VOC/Methane Regulations
May 19, 2022May 27, 2022

In March the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board (EQB), a sub-agency of the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), approved a final version of onerous new regulations that supposedly will capture every last molecule of stray methane that leaks from shale and conventional drilling operations (see PA EQB Approves Final Onerous Methane Regs Harming Conv Drillers). These regs have been developed and tweaked since 2016. In late April several oil and gas associations that represent conventional drillers sued to block the new regs. Subsequently, the DEP withdrew the proposed new regs saying it would rework them. The DEP is about to resubmit a tweaked version of the regs for consideration, hoping to diffuse opposition from conventional drillers. Will it work?
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | CNG/LNG | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Antis Lie About Safety of LNG-by-Rail, Seek Permanent Ban for PA
May 19, 2022May 27, 2022

Irrational anti-fossil fuelers, including THE Delaware Riverkeeper and the League of [Liberal Democrat] Women Voters, have set their sites on assassinating LNG-by-rail shipments in Pennsylvania and beyond. If even one shipment of LNG using rail cars should happen, it would expose the lie that LNG-by-rail is a “rolling bomb.” Antis, poisoned with hatred against fossil energy, are making fantastical and 100% false claims about LNG by rail. Substances FAR more flammable and combustible than liquified natural gas, including crude oil, roll down the rail tracks each and every day through major population centers across the country. That fact doesn’t seem to bother antis.
Read More “Antis Lie About Safety of LNG-by-Rail, Seek Permanent Ban for PA”
Industrywide Issues | Regulation

U.S. Chamber Makes Suggestions for Revised Climate/Energy Bill
May 19, 2022May 27, 2022

In a bit of swamp-related cheerleading, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce published a treatise with its 2 cents on what should be included in a revamped “bipartisan” Build Back Worse deal that is being hatched on Capitol Hill between U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (Democrat from West Virginia) and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (Republican from Alaska). We can tolerate Manchin, but we can’t tolerate Murkowski, who is a traitor to conservative values and the Republican Party. The U.S. Chamber senses a deal is getting close and wants to influence its shape as much as possible, floating “seven core elements” that should be part of such a deal.
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Industrywide Issues | Regulation

“What the FERC!” – New Ad Campaign Targets Biden FERC, Dems
May 19, 2022May 27, 2022

Ha ha ha ha ha. A new ad campaign is running in D.C., Nevada, and New Hampshire targeting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Democrats in swing states. The tag line used is “What the FERC!” We love it! The ad has leftists fit to be tied because it draws attention to policies from Biden’s FERC and his administration that have contributed to high energy costs. If Trump were still in the White House and ads with a naughty-sounding tagline like this were running, national media would be all over it. Since it’s Biden, it’s crickets from every single national media outlet–a total blackout and refusal to cover the news (otherwise known as censorship).
Read More ““What the FERC!” – New Ad Campaign Targets Biden FERC, Dems”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Death by Regulation – EPA Plans to Use Locals to Monitor Methane
May 18, 2022May 27, 2022

Last November the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched what we consider a full-on attack against the oil and gas industry when it floated a plan for new methane regulations (see EPA Launches Massive Power Grab, Targets O&G Methane Emissions). The Biden EPA claims by wresting control of oil and gas regulations from the states and concentrating power in the federal government, the feds will be able to save the planet from man-made global warming. The EPA will force a one-size-fits-all regulation on so-called fugitive methane emissions that all states must comply with. The problem is, EPA doesn’t have the money to monitor and enforce their lunatic plan, so they intend to farm it out to Big Green groups and the communities that border O&G activities. Big Green and the locals don’t like the sound of that because it means THEY will have to pay for it.
Read More “Death by Regulation – EPA Plans to Use Locals to Monitor Methane”
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

Chemical Industry Investment Linked to Shale Gas Tops $200 Billion
May 17, 2022May 27, 2022

Yesterday the American Chemistry Council (ACC) declared its undying love for homegrown, American shale gas. The ACC announced that U.S. chemical industry investment linked to plentiful and affordable domestic supplies of natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) has topped $200 billion. ACC recognized this historic milestone by reemphasizing the benefits of shale gas to the U.S. economy and the ways in which it supports the energy transition and a so-called lower-emissions future.
Read More “Chemical Industry Investment Linked to Shale Gas Tops $200 Billion”