PA State Senator Introducing Bill to Supercharge State Gas Industry
There’s a reason the Haynesville shale play in Louisiana and East Texas drills more wells than both the Marcellus and Utica shales combined. That reason? Lower taxes and less regulation. Particularly compared with Pennsylvania, where the taxes and “fees” are high and regulations are far too restrictive. Pennsylvania State Senator Doug Mastriano, who ran for governor against Josh Shapiro in 2022, is proposing to correct the situation with a new bill that would suspend the state income tax on shale drillers, among other positive moves. Read More “PA State Senator Introducing Bill to Supercharge State Gas Industry”

In February 2022, three Democrat Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) commissioners voted to adopt and immediately begin using new guidelines for approving pipeline projects by taking into account mythical global warming (GHG) factors (see
We don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that the Trump freight train hit and ran over the left’s radical environmental agenda in a single 12-hour period on January 20th when newly-inaugurated President Donald J. Trump signed a flurry of Executive Orders (EOs). The Trump train hit and ran over the left, and they still don’t understand (can’t conceive) just how fundamentally and deeply they’ve been defeated. They can’t accept that their power has been completely emasculated. Their fantasy world of forced renewable everything is GONE. Now, renewables have to compete with fossil energy, and it’s no competition. No more shaming and blaming oil and natural gas (and shale energy). How did everything change on Jan. 20th? Let’s break it down for you, blow by blow…
The highly functional and responsible Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), unlike its completely dysfunctional and irresponsible cousin, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), continues to support the shale energy industry by approving water withdrawals and consumptive use for responsible and safe shale drilling. The SRBC published a notice in the January 25 Pennsylvania Bulletin that the Executive Director of the SRBC gave his approval to or renewed 18 general water use permits in December for individual shale gas well drilling pads in Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Lycoming, Susquehanna, and Tioga counties.
In December, PA’s Democrat Governor, Josh Shapiro, filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) alleging the PJM electric grid is being mismanaged and using inflated numbers that will cause economic pain for the 65 million customers who buy electricity in the PJM region—in particular the residents of PA. What’s causing the high prices in PJM, a region rich in natural gas? The policies of Shapiro and his predecessor in proposing a carbon tax have scared away new gas-fired power plants from building in the Keystone State. As we reported yesterday, Shapiro has increased his menacing and threats against PJM (see
President Donald J. Trump, with the sweep of his pen, canceled the cancel culture that has been deeply embedded in the federal government, attempting (under the banner of alleged racism called “environment justice”) to end fossil energy infrastructure projects like pipelines. In an executive order on his first day in office, Trump terminated all so-called “environmental justice” positions and offices across the federal government. Brilliant!
In May 2023, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) proposed a new rule that would slap onerous and very expensive new requirements on pretty much all natural gas pipelines in the country, including 2.7 million miles of gas transmission, distribution, and gathering pipelines; 400+ underground natural gas storage facilities; and 165 liquefied natural gas facilities (see
In December, PA’s Democrat Governor, Josh Shapiro, filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) alleging the PJM electric grid is being mismanaged and using inflated numbers that will cause economic pain for the 65 million customers who buy electricity in the PJM region—in particular the residents of PA. What’s causing the high prices in PJM, a region rich in natural gas? That would be former Gov. Tom Wolf and current Gov. Josh Shapiro insisting the state tax gas-fired power plants via the so-called Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Shapiro is blaming the victim (PJM) for his actions. He just increased the volume (as bullies do) by threatening PJM that PA may pull out of the grid and do its own thing…unless PJM finds a way to fix his mess. 
A key issue has come about with the rapid increase in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects around the country, including here in the Marcellus/Utica region. Where does one store (sequester) all that carbon dioxide (CO2)? The answer is underground in a Class VI injection well. Class VI wells are a relatively new classification for injection wells, created by the federal EPA in 2010. Who regulates Class VI wells is a flashpoint of controversy. Until yesterday, the EPA was the primary regulator (has “primacy”) in regulating Class VI wells in all but three states: North Dakota, Wyoming, and Louisiana. Yesterday, West Virginia was added to the Class VI primacy list. 
Our heads are officially blown! Did you catch any of yesterday’s inauguration? WOW!!! We have NEVER been more proud to be an American than we were yesterday. President Trump hit the ground running so fast the left’s heads were spinning around like Regan’s head in
One year ago, the sleazy Joe Biden slapped a “pause” on allowing the Department of Energy (DOE) to review and issue export approvals for any new LNG export facilities (see
On Friday, three leftist judges who sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (DC Circuit), one appointed by Joementia, one by Lord Obama, and a third by George H.W. Bush (Bush the 1st), threw out a rule the U.S. Department of Transportation had adopted during President Trump’s first term which allowed liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be transported by train. We warned you back in September the judges were signaling their intent to overturn LNG-by-rail during oral arguments (see
Marathon Petroleum’s MPLX, formerly MarkWest, operates five complexes in the Marcellus shale. One of the five is the Bluestone Complex in Butler County, PA. Bluestone gathers 200 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of natural gas. Bluestone processes 400 MMcf/d of natural gas, separating methane from other hydrocarbons. The facility then further separates ethane (C2H6) from other NGLs like propane and butane in a process called C2+ fractionation—producing some 81,000 barrels per day. Yesterday, MPLX announced that the Bluestone plant has become the only U.S. natural gas processing facility to achieve the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry.