Regulation

Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

The Current State of PA Gov. Tom Wolf’s Obscene Carbon Tax
January 4, 2022April 20, 2022

In 2021 Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf advanced his plan to force PA to join the obscene carbon tax euphemistically called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Of the current 11 member states of RGGI (one of which will be unjoining this year, Virginia), all of the states joined after their respective state legislatures approved joining. Not so in PA. Wolf can’t convince the Republican-controlled legislature to join. So he’s doing what all leftist dictators do–seizing power that isn’t his and attempting to force his will on the people.
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Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

FERC Issues Final EIS to Restore Atlantic Coast Pipeline ROWs
January 4, 2022January 4, 2022

Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) had laid 31 miles of pipeline and had cut trees for 222 miles along the 600-mile route before Dominion Energy, the builder, decided in 2020 it no longer wants to be in the interstate pipeline business, canceling ACP (see Dominion Cancels Atlantic Coast Pipe, Sells Pipe Biz for $9.7B). In January 2021, Dominion filed a plan with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to clean up and “undo” the project (see Dominion Files Plan with FERC to “Undo” Atlantic Coast Pipe Work). On Dec. 17 FERC staffers issued a final environmental impact statement (EIS) that will allow Dominion to finish tidying up the pipeline right-of-way.
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Energy Services | Equitrans/EQT Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV DEP Issues Key Water Permit for Mountain Valley Pipeline
January 3, 2022January 3, 2022

Some really good (and expected) news to report. The West Virginia Dept. of Environmental Protection (WV DEP) issued a key permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) to finish work crossing rivers and streams in the Mountain State. MVP, a 303-mile pipeline from West Virginia into southern Virginia, is currently 94% built and in the ground. There are several portions left to complete it, including crossing rivers and streams in both Virginia and West Virginia. The permits needed to do so come from three sources: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Virginia Water Control Board, and WV DEP.
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Chester County | Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide PA | Sunoco Logistics

Bitter Antis Admit Defeat – ME2 Pipeline to be Completed in 1Q22
January 3, 2022January 3, 2022

In early December the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) agreed to allow Energy Transfer to change the way it will install the Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline in the Marsh Creek Lake area in Chester County, PA (see PA DEP Approves ME2 Plan to Finish Pipe Thru Marsh Creek Lake Area). Two weeks later the DEP issued the necessary permits to allow construction to commence (see PA DEP Issues Revised Permits for ME2 Pipe Near Marsh Creek Lake). The Marsh Creek Lake work is the final big project to complete ME2. Needless to say, anti-fossil fuel zealots are distraught. Antis get funny when they get upset.
Read More “Bitter Antis Admit Defeat – ME2 Pipeline to be Completed in 1Q22”
Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

O&G Industry Wakes Up, Opposes Fed Control Over Gathering Pipelines
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

In early November MDN told you about a massive new power grab being attempted by the Biden Dept. of Transportation’s PHMSA, implementing new regulations to take control of local gathering pipelines, in contravention to the U.S. Constitution (see Massive Power Grab Proposed by Biden DOT: Regulate Gathering Lines). At the time it appeared that the oil and gas industry was asleep at the switch and would not oppose this madness. It seems the industry has finally woken up and is now pushing back against the power grab.
Read More “O&G Industry Wakes Up, Opposes Fed Control Over Gathering Pipelines”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide VA | Virginia

Regulators: Chickahominy Pipeline Subject to Va. State Oversight
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

MDN first told you about plans to build the Chickahominy Power Station, a 1,650 megawatt state-of-the-art natural gas-fired power plant planned for Charles City County (near Richmond, Va.) in June 2018 (see Huge New Marcellus-Fired Power Plant Coming Near Richmond, VA). In September of this year, the Chickahominy project asked the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), which oversees intrastate pipelines for utility companies, to excuse itself from regulating and overseeing the construction of a pipeline that will feed the Chickahominy power plant (see Va. Power Plant Says State Doesn’t Need to Approve Feeder Pipeline). The SCC ruled yesterday that yes, they will indeed oversee and regulate this proposed pipeline, thank you very much.
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide VA | Virginia

Radicals Convince FERC to Cancel Deal with Pipe Contractor in Va.
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

Score another victory for the forces of evil. Based on the flimsiest of excuses, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has canceled a $102 million contract with Burns & McDonnell, an environmental engineering and construction firm, to perform an environmental review of a Columbia Gas Transmission pipeline project that includes upgrading a meter station and two compressor stations in Virginia. Anti-fossil fuel zealots are responsible.
Read More “Radicals Convince FERC to Cancel Deal with Pipe Contractor in Va.”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

FERC’s 3rd Democrat Commissioner Spells Trouble for O&G Industry
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Richard “Dick” Glick never met a pipeline project he actually likes. Now Glick has ammunition to torpedo every single newly proposed pipeline project that comes across his desk in the person of newly added Democrat Commissioner Willie Phillips, a swamp-dwelling D.C. apparatchik (see Senate Confirms D.C. Swamp-Dwelling Democrat Lawyer to FERC). This was the nightmare scenario we warned you about prior to the 2020 election, that FERC will be politicized and refuse to authorize any new pipelines. We hate being right about these things.
Read More “FERC’s 3rd Democrat Commissioner Spells Trouble for O&G Industry”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

NJ Gov Murphy Seeks to Ban NatGas for Heat, Appliances Statewide
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

New Jersey is a huge and important market for Marcellus Shale gas. NJ’s far-left Governor, Phil Murphy, recently won reelection to his job by 84,286 votes, about 3% of all votes cast. In other words, Murphy doesn’t have any kind of mandate to continue his socialist policies. Yet he’s now doubling down. Murphy is attempting to ban the use of natural gas for heating, stoves, etc. across the entire state! It’s completely bonkers and insane. Some 75% of the homes and businesses heat with natural gas.
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

New York Plans to Outlaw Heating with Wood, Cites Global Warming
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

In June 2019 the New York State legislature passed a horrific “energy” bill that was later signed into law by the now defrocked Gov. Andrew Cuomo (see New York Pulls the Trigger, Commits Energy Suicide with New Law). The new law, called the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (or “Climate Act”), limits carbon dioxide emissions to zero (an impossibility) by 2050. Tuesday we brought you a guide to understanding all of the evils contained in the bill (see Citizens Guide to Understanding New York’s So-Called Climate Act). As we predicted in 2019, not only will this bill outlaw the use of oil and natural gas for heat during out cold winters, it will also outlaw the use of wood stoves.
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Allegheny County | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania | Regulation

West Deer Township Denies Olympus Permit to Build Shale Pad
December 22, 2021April 20, 2022

Olympus Energy (formerly Huntley & Huntley) drills in the Greater Pittsburgh region, in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Earlier this year Olympus filed an application to build a new well pad in a rural part of Allegheny County, in West Deer Township. So-called “concerned citizens” got amped up to oppose the project (see Antis in West Deer, PA Gear Up to Oppose Olympus Well Pad). Looks like the antis successfully convinced the board of supervisors to come over to the dark side. Last week West Deer supervisors voted 4-0 to deny a permit to build the pad.
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Maryland | Pipelines | Regulation | TC Energy/TransCanada

Pipe Under Potomac River Comes Back to Life; Maryland Mixed Signals
December 21, 2021April 20, 2022

Columbia Gas, a subsidiary of Canada-based TC Energy, wants to build a tiny 3.37-mile, 8-inch pipeline under the Potomac River from Maryland to West Virginia. The Eastern Panhandle Expansion, as it is called, is being blocked by the lefties in Maryland (see Fed Judge Upholds Maryland Decision to Block Pipe Under Potomac). Maryland used the same flawed legal argument that New Jersey used to block PennEast Pipeline–that eminent domain can’t be used against land owned or controlled by a state. PennEast won its case against NJ in the U.S. Supreme Court in June (see PennEast Pipeline Squeaks Out 5-4 Supreme Court Victory Over NJ). Columbia now has grounds and is challenging Maryland in court once again. Columbia expects to win, and for good reason.
Read More “Pipe Under Potomac River Comes Back to Life; Maryland Mixed Signals”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV AG Update on Lawsuit Against EPA Regulating Power Plant Emissions
December 21, 2021April 20, 2022

A lawsuit filed by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and the attorney generals from (originally) 17 other states, or 18 states in all, seeks to limit the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and their misinterpretation of the so-called Clean Air Act in order to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. According to Morrisey, his lawsuit is “the biggest case before the Supreme Court” for the 2022 session. In fact, two more states have joined the lawsuit on WV’s side (now 20 states total). Morrisey provided an update yesterday on the lawsuit.
Read More “WV AG Update on Lawsuit Against EPA Regulating Power Plant Emissions”
Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Citizens Guide to Understanding New York’s So-Called Climate Act
December 21, 2021April 20, 2022

In June 2019 the New York State legislature passed a horrific “energy” bill that was later signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (see New York Pulls the Trigger, Commits Energy Suicide with New Law). The new law, called the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (or “Climate Act”), limits carbon dioxide emissions to zero (an impossibility) by 2050. Sadly, by our informal poll when talking about this evil law with our fellow NY residents, we find that something like 99% of all NY residents don’t have a clue that this law was passed and how it is about to fundamentally change their lives.
Read More “Citizens Guide to Understanding New York’s So-Called Climate Act”
Chester County | Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Sunoco Logistics

PA DEP Issues Revised Permits for ME2 Pipe Near Marsh Creek Lake
December 20, 2021April 20, 2022

One week ago MDN told you that the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) signaled, via a listing in the weekly issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin, the department’s intent to issue or reissue remaining permits for erosion and sediment control needed to finish up work on the Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline (see PA DEP Signals Reissue of Erosion & Sediment Permits for ME2 Pipe). One week later (this past Saturday), the DEP posted another notice in the PA Bulletin issuing permits for ME2 in the most contentious and critical portion of the project to finish up–the area near Marsh Creek Lake and State Park in Chester County.
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Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide WV | Taxation | West Virginia

WV Sen. Manchin Deserves Credit for Blocking Biden Budget Fiasco
December 20, 2021December 20, 2021

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin

We frankly thought he would cave under the pressure. He did not. Hats off to Joe Manchin, U.S. Senator from West Virginia, for telling Chuck “the schmuck” Schumer to go pound sand. Manchin said on Fox News yesterday that he will NOT vote to pass Joe Biden’s New Green Deal “Build Back Better” (BBB) budget bill that will (a) drive the country into hyperinflation, and (b) kill the fossil fuel industry with draconian Green New Deal regulations. The BBB budget bill is officially dead after Manchin said he will not vote for it. In a 50-50 Senate with the tie-breaking vote going to the cackling Kamala Harris, the bill, if it comes up for a vote, will go down in defeat. Socialist “crazy” Bernie Sanders is spitting and sputtering. Love it!
Read More “WV Sen. Manchin Deserves Credit for Blocking Biden Budget Fiasco”