Regulation

Commodity Price | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Glick Wants Power Plants to Contract NatGas Now to Avoid Shutdowns
October 25, 2021October 25, 2021

Although Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Richard “Dick” Glick is a nutty leftist, he’s not stupid. Glick can see that within a month or two there will be widespread shortages of natural gas available to feed gas-fired power plants, particularly in places like New England. Glick has voted against every single interstate pipeline project to come before him over the last three years he’s been a commissioner, claiming the pipes would contribute to mythical global warming. Now his actions are beginning to bite him on the rump with coming shortages. So what does he do? He blames LNG exports and tells power plants they better grab all the gas contracts they can now, so they can keep operating this winter.
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Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

Clever Move: PA Republicans Ask Dem AG Shapiro to Block Carbon Tax
October 22, 2021April 20, 2022

The very last line of defense against completely destroying Pennsylvania’s coal industry and mortally wounding its Marcellus Shale industry happens in 2022 when Pennsylvanians select their next governor. Current Gov. Tom Wolf is attempting to force his state, against the wishes of the state legislature, to enter the so-called Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), an obscene tax on carbon. If Republicans win the governorship next year it gives them the opportunity to overturn Wolf’s carbon tax. If Democrat Josh Shapiro, the current Attorney General, wins, it’s all over for coal and soon thereafter for the Marcellus Shale industry.
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

Big Green Groups Launch Website to Pressure Gov. Wolf to Whack O&G
October 22, 2021October 22, 2021

Even though Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is already one of the most liberal governors in the country who delights in screwing with the Marcellus Shale industry in his state, some truly rabid leftists don’t think he’s doing enough to ruin the shale industry. A rogues gallery of the worst of the worst–including the PA Clean Air Council, Earthworks, Clean Water Action, and the Environmental Defense Fund–launched a website this week specifically aimed at pressuring Gov. Wolf to adopt methane rules so severe it completely strangles the Marcellus Shale industry into stopping.
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA State Senators Blame Lack of Pipelines for High Energy Costs
October 21, 2021October 21, 2021

Press conference with Sens. Bartalotta, Yaw, and Yudichak (click for larger version)

Pennsylvania State Senator Camera Bartalotta (Washington, PA), Senator Gene Yaw (Loyalsock, PA), and Senator John Yudichak (Jim Thorpe, PA) held a press conference yesterday in Harrisburg and unloaded on environmental extremists that are blocking new pipelines for natural gas. High heating costs due to high natgas prices can be laid at the feet of radicalized leftist groups according to the PA Senators and a cadre of union officials standing with them.
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Belmont County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio | Omni Energy Services | Regulation | Wastewater

Omni Energy Sues ODNR 2nd Time for Blocking 2 Injection Wells
October 20, 2021October 20, 2021

For whatever reason, the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) is behaving like a child with its heels dug in, refusing to do what it’s supposed to do. In July 2019 MDN told you about New Jersey-based Omni Energy Group and their application to build two new injection wells near St. Clairsville (see Belmont County Injection Well Plan Stirs Opposition from Coal Co.). ODNR refused to do its regulatory duty to rule on permits to build the wells. Omni took ODNR’s dereliction of duty to the Ohio Supreme Court and in December 2020 the Supremes told ODNR to get off the pot and do something (see OH Supreme Court Forces ODNR to Advance 2 Injection Well Permits).
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Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines | Regulation

Spire Warns of NatGas Shortage Coming to St. Louis w/o Pipeline
October 19, 2021October 19, 2021

click for larger version

Yesterday we brought you the sad and disturbing news that the U.S. Supreme Court, in the singular person of RINO Chief Justice John Roberts, has refused to hear an appeal of a case that would keep the Spire STL natural gas pipeline in the St. Louis area (a pipeline that flows Marcellus/Utica gas) up and running (see U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Spire STL Pipe Request to Block Shutdown). Parent company Spire is issuing one last dire warning that shutting down the pipeline will lead to massive gas outages this winter in the St. Louis area.
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Democrat Media Turns Up the Heat on WV Sen. Joe Manchin
October 19, 2021October 19, 2021

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin

Mainstream media, which is now controlled by the Democrat Party, is gunning for West Virginia Joe Manchin, who is a so-called moderate Democrat. Manchin, Chairman of the powerful Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is opposed to Joe Biden’s plan to gut fossil energy, contained in the $3.5 trillion so-called budget reconciliation bill. The Dems have tried to bribe Joe into voting for the bill (see Sen. Joe Manchin Remains the Only Barrier to Left’s Energy Oblivion). That didn’t work, so now they left is targeting Manchin with smear articles. One such article, in the Washington Examiner, accuses Manchin of lining his pockets with coal money. Another article, in the New York Times, says Manchin’s hometown is flooding because of climate change that Biden’s bill will magically fix and that Manchin is opposing. The heat is on…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Vermont has Lots of Utica Natural Gas – Refuses to Tap It
October 19, 2021October 19, 2021

Vermont (credit: Wikipedia)

Here’s something we didn’t know, or if we did, we had long forgotten: The state of Vermont actually has a hefty layer of Utica Shale rock underneath it. Although there’s likely no (or very little) oil in that part of the Utica, according to State Geologist Laurence Becker, “natural gas likely exists in large quantities” in the Utica layer of Vermont. And yet there’s no way to access it because the state banned fracking back in 2012 (see Vermont Becomes First State to Ban Fracking).
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Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines | Regulation

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Spire STL Pipe Request to Block Shutdown
October 18, 2021October 18, 2021

click for larger version

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 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?). Earlier this month the parent company Spire asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the order that shuts down the pipeline (see Spire Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Block Shutdown of STL Pipeline). On Friday, Chief Justice John Roberts (a Republican-In-Name-Only) turned Spire down with no explanation.
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Beaver County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | PennEnergy Resources | Pennsylvania | Regulation

PA DEP Blocks Use of SWPA Creek Water for Fracking
October 18, 2021October 18, 2021

Rep. Rob Matzie

In July, a Pennsylvania Democrat lawmaker from Beaver County (southwestern PA) who professes to support the Marcellus industry, Rep. Rob Matzie, wrote a letter to Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Pat McDonnell (a fellow Dem) asking him to deny a request by PennEnergy Resources to withdraw as much as 3 million gallons of water a day from Big Sewickley Creek and one of its tributaries for shale fracking (see Dem PA Lawmaker Wants to Block Use of Creek Water for Fracking). McDonnell honored his fellow Dem’s request and has blocked PennEnergy’s request.
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ESG | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Midstream Companies Hop on Board the Responsibly Sourced Gas Train
October 15, 2021November 2, 2021

“All aboard! Next stop, responsibly sourced gas.” Both the Marcellus/Utica and the Haynesville shale plays have emerged as the major shale basins for so-called certified natural gas. Certified for what? Certified that the companies extracting it and (now) the companies flowing it through pipelines (i.e. the midstream) are doing so “responsibly.” We guess they did so irresponsibly before, right? What exactly is responsibly sourced gas (RSG) and how is the midstream (and upstream) tackling certification?
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CNG/LNG | Crude Oil | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

American Energy Gives Biden “Middle Finger” on More Production
October 14, 2021October 14, 2021

Joe Biden is completely inept. Everyone can see it, whether they publicly admit it or not. He’s blown it. For any given decision he’s made, he’s made the wrong decision 100% of the time. Yesterday we told you about Biden’s preference for OPEC oil over American oil (see Biden Favors OPEC Oil, Gives “Middle Finger” to American Energy). Now that his policies of blocking pipelines and blocking new drilling on federal lands have contributed to (the primary factor in) a worldwide crisis and oil shortage, Biden is asking American oil companies to increase production. Their response? “Here’s the middle finger right back at ya, big guy…”
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA Antis Try to Block Marcellus Drilling with Unrealistic Setbacks
October 13, 2021October 13, 2021

The same small group of leftwing radicals is at it again. Big Green is bankrolling yet another group trying to stamp out all (and we mean ALL) Marcellus drilling in Pennsylvania. The tactic they’re using now is one of their favorites they return to from time to time: Increase setbacks from well pads from the current 500 feet to between 2,500-5,000 feet (half a mile to a mile). That is, any kind of structure–house, barn, treehouse, shed–must be at least half a mile from a proposed well pad or you can’t drill. The net effect would be to prohibit 95% of all new Marcellus drilling in the state.
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Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Biden Favors OPEC Oil, Gives “Middle Finger” to American Energy
October 13, 2021October 13, 2021

Both U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson have essentially steered their respective countries off the road and into an energy ditch. Perhaps Johnson can be forgiven for simply following existing policies and kowtowing to European environmental extremists. Biden has no such excuse. Biden inherited a country that was, after more than 50 years, energy independent. In the space of eight months, Biden turned our country into an energy-dependent nation once again–relying on our enemies (Saudi Arabia and Russia) to provide for our energy needs. How sad.
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CNG/LNG | Commodity Price | Crude Oil | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

As Energy Prices Soar, What Options Does Comrade Biden Have?
October 12, 2021October 12, 2021

Comrade Joe Biden has painted himself into a corner. As Biden entered office, the United States of America was, after more than 50 years, energy independent. Upon seizing power, Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada and illegally banned federal oil and gas leasing. Now we have an oil and gas shortage and Biden is begging OPEC+ to increase production. What a dunce. This is how inept socialists are. So what can Biden do to get himself out of the corner he’s painted himself (and us) into?
Read More “As Energy Prices Soar, What Options Does Comrade Biden Have?”
Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Sen. Joe Manchin Remains the Only Barrier to Left’s Energy Oblivion
October 12, 2021October 12, 2021

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia remains the only thing standing in the way of the Democrats’ far-left, socialist plan to remake the country using a pair of bills that will spend over $5 trillion of your tax money. Both the infrastructure bill and the so-called budget reconciliation bill contain new regulations and laws that directly, nakedly, attack the oil and gas industry. The Democrats want to end fossil fuels–a truly frightening (and stupid) plan. Manchin is holding them back. Will he cave?
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