FERC Approves NRG, LS Power Deal, Rejects PJM Requested Conditions
In May, NRG Energy announced a deal to acquire LS Power’s portfolio of natural-gas power plants in a deal valued at roughly $12 billion, including debt, that will expand NRG’s footprint in Texas and along the East Coast (see NRG Buys 18 Gas-Fired Power Plants, Including 5 in PA, for $12B). NRG said the acquisition would add 18 more natural-gas-fired facilities in nine states, including five in Pennsylvania and one in Ohio, doubling its generation capacity to approximately 25 gigawatts (GW). In June, NRG asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve the deal (see NRG, LS Power Asks FERC to Approve $18B Deal for 12 Gas-Fired Plants). “Not so fast,” said the PJM Interconnection, which requested that FERC set certain conditions before approving the deal (see PJM Monitor Asks FERC to Impose Conditions on NRG, LS Power Deal). FERC ignored PJM and OK’d the deal on Friday without preconditions. Read More “FERC Approves NRG, LS Power Deal, Rejects PJM Requested Conditions”
Last week, we brought you the fantastic news that the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax scheme in Pennsylvania is officially dead with the adoption of the 4-month late state budget (see 
We continue to win so much, it feels strange. But hey, we can get used to it! Back in April 2021, we reported that the leftist Democrats who run the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) had, for the third time, rejected giving the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) Southgate project a necessary Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 water quality certification permit (see 
One month ago, we reported that Ohio Republican Senators had introduced Senate Bill (SB) 219, the first significant update to Ohio’s oil and gas laws since the Kasich administration more than a decade ago (see 
For seven looooooong years, Pennsylvania Senate Republicans (and MDN, we modestly add) have fought against enrolling the Keystone State in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax scheme. RGGI taxes gas- and coal-fired power plants, charging them so much per ton of carbon dioxide emitted. The aim is to eliminate these sources and replace them with unreliable renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. PA’s former failed Governor, Tom Wolf, tried to force the state to join RGGI via an executive order (see 
Federal safety officials are investigating leaks of ethane near two small underground storage tanks at the Cove Point LNG export terminal in Maryland and have requested that they be taken out of service immediately, citing potential safety concerns. The cause of the leak appears to be related to the tanks or their piping. However, Cove Point LNG, a facility owned and operated by a Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary, maintains that the 40-gallon tanks are “safe to operate under the current conditions” and that the leaks have never posed an unsafe condition for employees or the community. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a proposed safety order in mid-October, and the company has requested an informal consultation to discuss it. 
Despite claims by anti-fossil fuelers that the Tenaska Westmoreland Generating Station in southwestern PA would spread disease and death if it were built, it’s been up and running since 2018, producing power and generating money 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. In particular, antis are complaining that there are no public complaining sessions scheduled. 
In January 2023, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a leftist Democrat, floated a plan to ban natural gas hookups in every single new home and business across the “Empire” State (see 
The Pennsylvania House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee will hold a hearing on November 17 for House Bill 1946, sponsored by Rep. Greg Vitali (Democrat from Delaware County), which proposes to significantly increase setback distances for unconventional shale gas wells to “better protect public health and the environment.” The bill mandates a minimum setback of 2,500 feet from homes and 5,000 feet from schools, hospitals, and long-term care facilities, a substantial increase from the current 500 feet. It also raises setbacks for drinking water sources from 1,000 to 2,500 feet and for natural bodies of water from 300 to 750 feet, affecting everything, from lakes and ponds to mud puddles. Vitali knows his bill would be a de facto ban on new shale drilling in 95-97% of the state. That’s his objective. 
Donald Trump once famously said, “We’re gonna win so much. You’re gonna get tired of winning. And you’re going to say, ‘Please, please, it’s too much winning. We can’t take it anymore. Mr. President, it’s too much.’ And I’ll say, ‘No, it isn’t. We have to keep winning. We have to win more!'” He’s keeping his promise to win! However, we’re not tired of winning just yet. 😉 Last Friday, Williams announced that both New York and New Jersey have issued the required federal water permits needed to build the Transco pipeline project called the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE). President Trump made a deal (so the rumor goes) with NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, allowing her to continue building a $5 billion offshore wind farm boondoggle in return for building NESE and another project, the Constitution Pipeline (see 
Last week, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved a Tentative Order by a 3-2 vote, proposing a statewide model tariff (tax) to manage the growing impact of large-load customers, such as AI data centers, on the electric grid. The goal is to encourage investment and job growth while protecting existing ratepayers from cost-shifts and ensuring reliability. The PUC failed. The proposed order was passed on a partisan basis, with the three Democrat commissioners voting to make it harder and more expensive for data centers to locate in the Keystone State, potentially jeopardizing $92 billion of investments promised to the state related to data centers (see 
We may finally, after seven long years of torture, have a resolution to the issue of forcing Pennsylvania to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax scheme. The rumors are swirling around Harrisburg that the Democrats (including Governor Josh Shapiro) and Republicans in the state Senate are close to a budget deal. The budget was supposed to be adopted by July 1st. It’s now over four months late, and school districts and government agencies dependent on state funding are hurting. The rumor is that the budget deal includes a provision to dump PA’s participation in RGGI. Lefty environmentalists are having a CO2-emitting cow at the news. 
We are SO tired of activist judges appointed by Obama/Biden ruling against the will of the majority (and against the Constitution). It just happened again earlier this week. Before leaving office, the Biden Department of Energy (DOE) implemented new regulations that essentially ban gas-fired furnaces and water heaters (see 
In January 2023, Ohio House Bill (HB) 507 became law with the signature of Gov. Mike DeWine (see 
Following some intense conversations between President Trump and New York Governor Kathy Hochul earlier this year, she caved (according to the White House) and agreed to allow two long-stalled pipeline projects—the Constitution and NESE—to get built in NY in return for Trump allowing her to continue to sink $5 billion into an offshore wind project (see