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Diversified JV Targets NatGas for Data Center Power in WV, VA, KY

This morning, Diversified Energy, FuelCell Energy, and TESIAC announced a strategic partnership “intended to address the urgent energy needs of data centers” by supplying as much as 360 megawatts (MW) of electricity to three distinct locations in Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The partnership has agreed to create an Acquisition and Development Company (ADC), essentially a joint venture, focused on delivering reliable, cost-efficient, so-called net-zero power from natural gas and captured coal mine methane (CMM) to meet the soaring demand of data centers for reliable power. The way they will provide the power is quite interesting. Read More “Diversified JV Targets NatGas for Data Center Power in WV, VA, KY”

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Kentucky Utilities File to Build Two 645-MW Gas-Fired Power Plants

Kentucky has seen unprecedented economic growth in recent years, like other southern states. Data centers are looking to Kentucky for future expansion. Last fall, Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities Company (KU), both part of PPL Corporation, forecasted in their Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) the need for additional power generation due to the expected influx of data centers and economic development across their service territories (see Kentucky Utilities Want to Build 2 New NatGas Power Plants). The companies floated a plan to build two new natural gas combined-cycle generation units—one in 2030 and another in 2031. Those plans just got very real. Read More “Kentucky Utilities File to Build Two 645-MW Gas-Fired Power Plants”

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Pass the Jim Beam! Construction Begins on 12-Mile Kentucky Pipeline

In May 2021, MDN told you that Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) had won Kentucky state approval to build a new 12-inch, 12-mile pipeline south of Louisville to supply gas to homes and businesses (including a Jim Beam distillery) in Bullitt County that can’t connect to LG&E’s local natgas utility system because it is currently maxed out (see Pass the Jim Beam! Judge Clears Way for Gas Pipe Near Louisville, KY). The local Bernheim Arboretum resisted attempts to build across three-tenths of one percent (0.028%) of Arboretum land—along an existing cleared path where electric lines already go. LG&E took the Arboretum to court, and in April 2023, the court ruled in favor of LG&E and its right to build the pipe through a small section of Arboretum land (see Court Allows LG&E to Build Tiny Pipe Thru Kentucky Arboretum Land). Read More “Pass the Jim Beam! Construction Begins on 12-Mile Kentucky Pipeline”

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LG&E and KU Announce New Hyperscale Data Center in Louisville, KY

Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) announced a contract to supply electricity to its first hyperscale data center customer yesterday. A joint venture between PowerHouse Data Centers and Poe Companies is developing a cutting-edge 400-megawatt (MW) data center campus in Louisville. The first 130 MW will be available in October 2026. While no mention was made in the announcement, we’re pretty sure Marcellus/Utica molecules will power this new data center via the electricity generated by LG&E and Kentucky Utilities (KU). Read More “LG&E and KU Announce New Hyperscale Data Center in Louisville, KY”

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Details for Surface Owners re Diversified Deal to Plug Wells

In November, MDN told you that Diversified Energy and EQT Corporation had settled a class action lawsuit originally brought by several West Virginia landowners (see EQT, Diversified Settle WV Class Action Lawsuit re Old Wells). Diversified and EQT are ponying up $3.25 million each ($6.5 million total) with requirements for Diversified to plug more wells on an advanced schedule in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. Who, exactly, is affected by this settlement? A new court-ordered website provides some answers. Read More “Details for Surface Owners re Diversified Deal to Plug Wells”

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Details on Diversified Deal to Plug More Wells in WV, OH, PA

One month ago, we brought you the news that Diversified Energy and EQT Corporation had settled a class action lawsuit originally brought by several West Virginia landowners (see EQT, Diversified Settle WV Class Action Lawsuit re Old Wells). There is the money aspect of the lawsuit, a payout of up to $6.5 million (subject to attorneys grabbing one-third of that). But then there is (in our opinion) the more important aspect of the settlement that requires Diversified to dramatically increase the number of wells it plugs over the next 10 years. Read More “Details on Diversified Deal to Plug More Wells in WV, OH, PA”

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LG&E and KU Break Ground on New 640-MW Gas-Fired Power Plant

Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities Company (KU), subsidiaries of PPL Corporation, celebrated a significant milestone last week with the groundbreaking of Mill Creek 5, a state-of-the-art 640-megawatt (MW) natural gas combined-cycle generating unit in Jefferson County, Kentucky. This new facility is set to begin powering homes and businesses in 2027. While no mention was made in the official announcement, we suspect the plant, when operational, will use Marcellus/Utica molecules, making this a major new customer for our gas. Read More “LG&E and KU Break Ground on New 640-MW Gas-Fired Power Plant”

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Kentucky Utility Plans to Build 4 New Gas-Fired Power Plants

Yesterday, the East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC), a nonprofit power generation and transmission electric utility with headquarters in Winchester, Kentucky, announced plans to build two new natural gas-fired power plants and convert its two existing coal-fired power plants to burn natural gas. That’s four new gas-fired power plants coming to two different counties, one county in the northern part of the state, the other in the southern part. While no mention was made of the source of gas to be used, it’s a safe bet the molecules will come from the Marcellus/Utica. Read More “Kentucky Utility Plans to Build 4 New Gas-Fired Power Plants”

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Kentucky Utilities Want to Build 2 New NatGas Power Plants

Kentucky has seen unprecedented economic growth in recent years like other southern states. Data centers are looking to Kentucky for future expansion. Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities Company (KU), both part of PPL Corporation, are forecasting in their Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) the need for additional power generation due to the expected influx of data centers and economic development across their service territories. The companies want to build two new natural gas combined-cycle generation units—one in 2030 and another in 2031. Read More “Kentucky Utilities Want to Build 2 New NatGas Power Plants”

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Finland Providing Tech for Gas Peaker Plant in Madisonville, KY

In August, MDN told you about a tiny new gas-fired power plant coming to Kentucky (see Gas Peaker Planned for Madisonville, KY to Aid Unreliable Renewables). The Kentucky Municipal Energy Agency (KYMEA) and the City of Madisonville announced the development of the KYMEA Energy Center I, a 75-megawatt peaker natural gas electric generating facility to be located in Madisonville. The facility will supplement (make possible) unreliable renewable energy that can’t meet sudden increases in demand for electricity. We have some details about the technology that will be used in the plant—tech that will come from Finland, of all places. Read More “Finland Providing Tech for Gas Peaker Plant in Madisonville, KY”

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Paret Mining Buys 10K Acres of Leases, 150 O&G Wells in Kentucky

We spotted a press release about a “wealthy Haitian-American businessman” buying “a vast 10,000-acre oil reserve in Bowling Green Kentucky.” What caught our eye was the location and the extra detail that the assets purchased included “150 oil and natural gas wells.” A few bells began to go off for us. Kentucky is not known as a hotbed of shale drilling activity. The Marcellus/Utica does not extend under the Bluegrass State. However, as we wrote back in 2017, Kentucky has the Berea Sandstone, which contains oil deposits (see Fracking Comes to Kentucky – Encore Drills First Horizontal Oil Wells).
Read More “Paret Mining Buys 10K Acres of Leases, 150 O&G Wells in Kentucky”

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Gas Peaker Planned for Madisonville, KY to Aid Unreliable Renewables

We have news of a second southern gas-fired power plant to share today. This one is tiny, a 75-megawatt peaker plant in Madisonville, Kentucky. The Kentucky Municipal Energy Agency (KYMEA) and the City of Madisonville recently announced the development of the KYMEA Energy Center I, a natural gas electric generating facility. The new facility, with four reciprocating internal combustion engine (RICE) generators, will be able to start up at a moment’s notice. The raison d’etre for the facility? To supplement unreliable renewable energy that can’t meet sudden increases in demand for electricity. Read More “Gas Peaker Planned for Madisonville, KY to Aid Unreliable Renewables”

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Encore Energy Adds 3 KY Horizontal Wells to Sales, Drilling 3 More

Lawrence County, KY

Kentucky is not known as a hotbed of shale drilling activity. The Marcellus/Utica does not extend under the Bluegrass State. However, as we wrote about back in 2017, Kentucky does have the Berea Sandstone, which contains oil deposits (see Fracking Comes to Kentucky – Encore Drills First Horizontal Oil Wells). In 2017, we brought you the news that Encore Energy, headquartered in Bowling Green, was just beginning to drill shale wells looking to extract oil from the Berea. Fast forward to today, and over 100 horizontal wells are permitted, drilled, and/or producing in the Berea in Lawrence County. Encore issued a press release yesterday saying it has just turned another three Berea wells online to sales and is drilling three more.
Read More “Encore Energy Adds 3 KY Horizontal Wells to Sales, Drilling 3 More”

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Kentucky Father & Son Going to Jail for Inflating Gas Sales

Here’s a sad story that, as far as we can tell, is not directly connected to the Marcellus/Utica. However, it’s a cautionary tale related to the oil and gas industry in Appalachia. Mark Edward Holbrook and his son Marshall Holbrook, both from Kentucky, worked in a family-owned company called Puissant Industries. The company sources natural gas by “drilling wells” and “acquiring gas rights.” We assume, given the small nature of the company, that these are conventional (vertical-only) wells and rights. When the price of gas dropped in 2015/2016, the company and the Holbrooks hit hard times. So, the two compensated by manipulating meters on the gathering pipelines that flowed their gas, making it look as though they were selling more gas than they did. In a word, it was theft — getting paid for something they didn’t provide.
Read More “Kentucky Father & Son Going to Jail for Inflating Gas Sales”

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TVA Officially Dedicates 3 Paradise Gas-Fired Peakers in Kentucky

Welcome to Paradise, where natural gas is the fuel of choice to generate electricity. In 2017, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) held a dedication ceremony for the Paradise Combined Cycle Gas Plant in Drakesboro, Kentucky (see Paradise Comes to Kentucky: TVA NatGas Elec Plant Fires Up). The Paradise plant is a natural gas-fired plant that replaces two now-closed coal plants at the site. The Paradise plant can produce 1,100 megawatts (MW) of electricity (a big plant). In late December 2023, three “peaker” (on demand) natgas power units were added at the Paradise location, adding an additional 750 MW. Last week, the TVA held an official dedication ceremony for the new peaker units.
Read More “TVA Officially Dedicates 3 Paradise Gas-Fired Peakers in Kentucky”

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Kentucky Experiments with Replacing Sand with Fly Ash in Fracking

fly ash

Kentucky, like West Virginia, is known as a coal state. When coal is burned it produces (among another things) a fine powdery substance called fly ash that must be disposed of. Fly ash is composed mainly of silica. Sand! Fly ash is often used to make concrete and cement products. Researchers at the University of Kentucky got the bright idea of using fly ash as a substitute for sand in fracking old/existing oil and gas wells in the state. After experimenting, researchers found that in some cases, the wells have “surpassed original production levels.”
Read More “Kentucky Experiments with Replacing Sand with Fly Ash in Fracking”