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Maryland Dems Pass Energy Plan that Restricts New Gas-Fired Power

In February, MDN told you that the Democrat leadership in the Maryland state legislature was pushing a bill that would rechristen gas-fired power as “green” and make it easier to build new gas-fired power plants in the state (see Maryland Dems Open Door for Gas-Fired Power Plants, Call it “Green”). We had high hopes that maybe, just maybe, Maryland Dems had seen the light regarding gas-fired power. Nope. Somewhere during the journey to enlightenment, the Dems fell off the turnip truck. A comprehensive energy package passed the General Assembly with about 10 hours remaining in the 90-day session. The Dems neutered the bits that would have made more natural gas-fired power easier to build. Read More “Maryland Dems Pass Energy Plan that Restricts New Gas-Fired Power”

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Maryland Public Service Comm. Kills Free Speech for Gas Utility

WGL service map (click for larger version)

If you’re a natural gas utility company operating in the People’s Republic of Maryland (a non-free state), your right to free speech just ended. The Washington Gas Light Company, now known as WGL Holdings, is a utility company that provides natural gas service to customers in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, dating back to 1848. Essentially, the company services the D.C. swamp and surrounding counties (see the map). In 2021, WGL had the temerity to send an advertising flier to customers claiming that natural gas is “clean energy” and that using gas instead of all-electric would save “acres of trees.” The high and mighty of the Maryland Public Service Commission ruled last Thursday that WGL misled its customers and is not allowed to say such things. Free speech just died in the so-called “Free State.” (There’s a bit of irony for you.) Read More “Maryland Public Service Comm. Kills Free Speech for Gas Utility”

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AlphaGen Proposes 450 MW of Expaned Gas-Fired Power in NJ, OH, MD

Yesterday, MDN told you that power generation giant LS Power announced a plan to add more than 700 megawatts (MW) of new electric generating capacity across the PJM grid by modifying and expanding gas-fired plants already in existence in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia (see LS Power Plans to Upgrade 2 Peaker Gas Plants in PA, OH to Baseload). Today, we have news of another power provider, Alpha Generation LLC (AlphaGen), with plans to add 450 MW of extra power in PJM at gas-fired plants in New Jersey, Maryland, and Ohio. What the heck is going on? Read More “AlphaGen Proposes 450 MW of Expaned Gas-Fired Power in NJ, OH, MD”

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3 State Senators Intro Bill to Allow Fracking in….Maryland!

Something is going on in the State of Maryland. Last week, we told you that the Democrat leadership in the Maryland state legislature was pushing a bill that would rechristen gas-fired power as “green” and make it easier to build new gas-fired power plants in the state (see Maryland Dems Open Door for Gas-Fired Power Plants, Call it “Green”). Now comes word that three Republican State Senators have introduced a bill getting serious attention in committee, a bill that would overturn the state’s ban on shale fracking. Read More “3 State Senators Intro Bill to Allow Fracking in….Maryland!”

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Maryland Dems Open Door for Gas-Fired Power Plants, Call it “Green”

The environmental left is panicked that it may be losing one of its bluest strongholds—the State of Maryland—with the introduction of a new bill by state Democrats (!) that would make it easier to build new natural gas-fired power plants. Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, along with other Maryland Democrats, held a presser on Monday in the state capitol of Annapolis. Without revealing the actual language, the pair unveiled a new plan (bill) to reduce energy costs “while furthering the state’s clean energy ambitions” by building more “dispatchable” power. The enviro-left rightly assumes dispatchable means building gas-fired power plants. Read More “Maryland Dems Open Door for Gas-Fired Power Plants, Call it “Green””

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Maryland Congressman Wants to Dump Power Line, Build NatGas Pipes

It’s alarming! Common sense is breaking out all over. In January, we told you about a Maryland Democrat, General Assembly member C.T. Wilson from Charles County, who is attempting to get the rules changed in the Old Line State to redefine natural gas as “green” energy (see Maryland Democrat Flips, Wants to Use NatGas to Fire Power Plants). Now comes word that a Maryland Republican Congressman (Republicans in Maryland are mostly of the RINO type) wants a 70-mile power line project canceled and instead wants the state to expedite the development of natural gas power generation. Read More “Maryland Congressman Wants to Dump Power Line, Build NatGas Pipes”

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Maryland Democrat Flips, Wants to Use NatGas to Fire Power Plants

This is another in a series of observations that we (fossil fuel advocates) are winning. Finally, we are having an impact. The official party line of the Democrats has been to block the use of any and all fossil fuel energy by amping up regulations and passing laws to limit or eliminate its production, transportation, and even usage (witness the Dems trying to outlaw gas stoves, furnaces, and water heaters over the past couple of years). Those efforts have failed spectacularly. And now, some Dems admit their failure, like Maryland General Assembly member C.T. Wilson from Charles County. He told Baltimore’s Fox affiliate that the state “should be open to using natural gas to meet its green energy goals.” There you go. A Dem just redefined natural gas as “green” so he and his party can save face. Whatever. At least they’re beginning to admit what everyone else already knows: The use of natural gas isn’t going away. Read More “Maryland Democrat Flips, Wants to Use NatGas to Fire Power Plants”

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Feedgas Flowing to Cove Point LNG Slipped on Cold Wx, Back Now

LNG exports have become an important (even critical) part of the natural gas sector in the U.S. Feedgas flowing to LNG facilities is closely watched by many people, including traders and industry analysts. As we pointed out yesterday, lower feedgas flows to a single LNG facility can lower the NYMEX natural gas futures price (see NYMEX Gas Price Slips Due to Lower Feedgas to Freeport LNG). Little did we know, but feedgas flowing to the Cove Point LNG facility along the shoreline of Maryland dropped early last week due to cold weather. It has since rebounded. Read More “Feedgas Flowing to Cove Point LNG Slipped on Cold Wx, Back Now”

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Builders, Utility Co. Sue Maryland re New Reg Blocking NatGas Use

Maryland is a sad state. It’s completely ruled by leftists who seek to impoverish its residents by forcing them to use expensive and unreliable renewable energy. There is actually some Marcellus/Utica shale under Maryland (in a couple of far-western counties), but the state outlawed shale fracking nearly 10 years ago when then-Gov. Larry Hogan (a RINO and Trump-hater) allowed a Maryland bill to become law that bans fracking in the state (see Maryland’s Pusillanimous Gov Allows Frack Moratorium to Become Law). The latest attack against fossil energy is a new state regulation that phases out gas stoves, furnaces, water heaters, and other appliances at big residential and commercial buildings to “fight climate change.” Not so fast. Builders and one utility company have sued to block the new reg from taking effect. Read More “Builders, Utility Co. Sue Maryland re New Reg Blocking NatGas Use”

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Maintenance Done: M-U Gas Flows Restart to Cove Point, Maryland

Feedgas flowing from the Marcellus/Utica to the Cove Point LNG export facility located on the shore of Maryland fell to zero on Friday, Sept. 20, as the facility began its planned annual maintenance outage (see Flows Drop to Zero @ Cove Point LNG, Closed for Annual Maintenance). Most years, maintenance at Cove Point takes around three weeks. True to form, Cove Point came back online and restarted liquefying gas last Saturday, Oct 12, so the plant was out exactly three weeks (from Friday, Sept. 20 to Friday, Oct. 11). Read More “Maintenance Done: M-U Gas Flows Restart to Cove Point, Maryland”

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Flows Drop to Zero @ Cove Point LNG, Closed for Annual Maintenance

Feedgas flows from the Marcellus/Utica to the Cove Point LNG export facility located on the shore of Maryland fell to zero last Friday, Sept. 20. It was the start of the facility’s annual maintenance outage. The question is, how long will Cove Point be out of commission for liquefying and exporting LNG? According to Reuters, maintenance forcing the facility offline will last “for about three weeks.” Each year, the plant closure is a moving target and a guessing game about how long it will remain offline. Every day counts! Read More “Flows Drop to Zero @ Cove Point LNG, Closed for Annual Maintenance”

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Cove Point LNG to Pay $60M per Year PILOT to Calvert County, MD

Cove Point LNG is an LNG export facility located in Lusby (Calvert County), Maryland. It is one of the most technically advanced and environmentally sensitive LNG facilities in the world. We recall as Dominion Energy was building the facility, environmental wackos uttered shrill warnings of habitat destruction coming for the Chesapeake Bay (where it’s located) should the facility go into production (see Green Groups Ask DC Judge to Stop Construction at Cove Point LNG). Nothing of the kind ever happened. The current owners of Cove Point, Berkshire Hathaway Energy (yes, that Berkshire, owned by Warren Buffett), just signed a deal paying Calvert County $60 million PER YEAR in lieu of property taxes, a “payment in lieu of taxes” or PILOT agreement. The local community and county commissioners could not be more delighted with the money and how Cove Point benefits the community. So much for all of the false claims by the wackos. Read More “Cove Point LNG to Pay $60M per Year PILOT to Calvert County, MD”

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PJM Begs Talen to Delay Shutting Down O&G Power Plants in Maryland

On Wednesday, PJM Interconnection, the largest U.S. power grid operator, asked (more like begged) Talen Energy to delay retiring several fossil fuel-powered plants in Maryland by three years. Why? PJM is afraid of blackouts due to unreliable “renewables” like wind and solar. Talen notified PJM last October that it intends to retire three oil-burning units and one natural gas-burning power unit at its Herbert A. Wagner Generating Station outside of Baltimore by June 2025.
Read More “PJM Begs Talen to Delay Shutting Down O&G Power Plants in Maryland”

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Chesapeake Utilities Files to Build $80M LNG Peaker in Maryland

Worcester Resiliency Upgrade project map (click for larger version)

According to Jeff Householder, CEO of Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (not to be confused with Chesapeake Energy), “Demand for natural gas continues to increase in our Delmarva service territories, where our customer additions are above national averages.” For those unfamiliar, Delmarva is the peninsula along the East Coast where the states of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia share borders. Chesapeake Utilities (a local utility company) operates a subsidiary called Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company. Eastern Shore recently filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to build an LNG storage facility in Bishopville, Maryland, called the Worcester Resiliency Upgrade project.
Read More “Chesapeake Utilities Files to Build $80M LNG Peaker in Maryland”

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Maryland Loses Fight to Block Tiny Pipe Under Potomac River

We finally have some good news to share concerning Columbia Gas’ project to build a tiny 3.37-mile, 8-inch pipeline under the Potomac River from Maryland to West Virginia. The project, called the Eastern Panhandle Expansion, has been blocked repeatedly by leftwing wackos 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 the 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 2021 (see PennEast Pipeline Squeaks Out 5-4 Supreme Court Victory Over NJ). The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (4th Circuit) ruled on Wednesday, using the PennEast case as precedent, that Maryland could not claim immunity from eminent domain.
Read More “Maryland Loses Fight to Block Tiny Pipe Under Potomac River”

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Gas Flows to Cove Point LNG Go to Zero, Shut Down for Maintenance

Feedgas flows from the Marcellus/Utica to the Cove Point LNG export facility located on the shore of Maryland fell to zero yesterday. It was the start of the facility’s annual maintenance outage. The question is, how long will Cove Point be out of commission for liquefying and exporting LNG? There are conflicting reports. Last year, the facility was closed from Oct. 1-27 — nearly a month! In most years, the closure lasts around three weeks (see our stories about previous years). This time around, Reuters is reporting Cove Point will be down just a week, from Sept. 21-29. We don’t think that’s quite accurate.
Read More “Gas Flows to Cove Point LNG Go to Zero, Shut Down for Maintenance”