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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.
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Drought Over? SRBC Approves New Shale Water Withdrawals in PA

Just two weeks ago, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) told all water users in the basin that have withdrawal permits, including shale drillers, they should review those permits, and if there are restrictions for withdrawals during low streamflow conditions, they need to make alternative plans (see SRBC Advises Water Permit Holders to Consider Alternative Sources). The concern is an ongoing drought in the Northeast. However, at the same time the commission was issuing its warning, it was also approving new water withdrawal projects!
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SRBC Advises Water Permit Holders to Consider Alternative Sources

At the end of May, MDN told you about water withdrawal restrictions from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) affecting 42 Pennsylvania oil and gas operators due to ongoing drought conditions (see SRBC Water Withdrawal Restrictions Hit 42 PA Oil & Gas Operators). Earlier this week, the SRBC notified all water users in the basin that have withdrawal permits, including shale drillers, they should review those permits, and if there are restrictions for withdrawals during low streamflow conditions, they need to make alternative plans…now.
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Maryland Gov. Moore Withdraws Nomination of Gas Official to PSC

That was fast. Yesterday we told you that newly-elected Maryland Gov. Wes Moore had nominated someone who actually knows something about the energy industry, from the American Gas Association, to be a member of the Maryland Public Service Commission (see Big Green Torqued with Maryland Gov Over Appointing Gas Official). As we reported, Big Green had a cow. We speculated on whether or not Moore would withdraw the nomination–whether or not Moore has any male anatomy. Now we know the answer…he doesn’t.
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Big Green Torqued with Maryland Gov Over Appointing Gas Official

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore

This past November, the uber-leftist state of Maryland elected a true-blue Democrat as its governor, instead of the previous governor, Larry Hogan, who was a Democrat-lite (Republican in Name Only). The new governor, Wes Moore, made all sorts of campaign promises about forcing Maryland to dump reliable fossil fuel energy and switch to unreliable renewables like wind and solar instead. A month into his term, Gov. Moore has just nominated the senior director of energy analysis at the American Gas Association to be a member of the state Public Service Commission. Predictably, the lunatic left is having a cow.
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Maryland Issues Permit for Natural Gas Pipe Under Pocomoke River

Pocomoke River State Park

The Pocomoke River runs 66 miles from southern Delaware through a series of relatively inaccessible wetlands called the Great Cypress Swamp in southeastern Maryland, eventually emptying into the Chesapeake Bay. In something of a surprise (for us), the three-member Maryland Board of Public Works yesterday approved issuing a permit to Chesapeake Utilities that allows the company to install a natural gas pipeline by horizontally drilling under the Pocomoke River. This is the same three-member Maryland Board of Public Works that has, for years, blocked Columbia Gas from installing a pipeline the same way under the Potomac River (see Fed Judge Upholds Maryland Decision to Block Pipe Under Potomac). Does anyone else smell big, fat, corrupt hypocrites in Maryland?
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Maryland Gov. Celebrates Del-Mar Energy Pathway Pipe Going Online

Gov. Hogan joins Chesapeake Utilities staff to celebrate pipeline project (click for larger version)

A short 19-mile pipeline project called the Del-Mar Energy Pathway project, crossing both Delaware and Maryland, is finally online and operational. In addition to building 19 miles of pipeline, Del-Mar constructed new meter and delivery stations in Kent and Sussex counties in Delaware, and Wicomico and Somerset counties in Maryland, to carry more natural gas to locations in Delaware and Maryland. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (RINO) visited one of the locations of the new pipeline on June 14 to celebrate with Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, the builder of the project.
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WV Legislators Look for Solution to Maryland Blocking Potomac Pipe

Columbia Gas, a subsidiary of Canada-based TC Energy (formerly TransCanada), wants to build a tiny 3.37-mile, 8-inch pipeline under the Potomac River from Maryland to West Virginia. The Eastern Panhandle Expansion, as it is called, is being blocked by the lefties in Maryland (see Fed Judge Upholds Maryland Decision to Block Pipe Under Potomac). West Virginia House of Delegates members recently debated what could be done to overcome Maryland’s illegal blockade of the pipeline.
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Del-Mar Energy Pathway Pipe in Dela./Md. Now Two-Thirds Complete

A short 19-mile pipeline project called the Del-Mar Energy Pathway project, crossing both Delaware and Maryland, began its final phase of construction earlier this year after receiving approval from Maryland for traversing a wetland area (see Maryland Bd of Public Works Approves Wetlands Permit for Gas Pipe). In addition to building 19 miles of pipeline, Del-Mar is constructing new meter and delivery stations in Kent and Sussex counties in Delaware, and Wicomico and Somerset counties in Maryland, to carry more natural gas to locations in Delaware and Maryland. The good news is that some 60% of the pipeline is now built and in the ground.
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PennEast Supreme Court Case Key to Columbia Potomac Pipeline Too

Here’s a connection we hadn’t made until we read about yesterday’s oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in PennEast Pipeline vs. New Jersey. The connection is this: The PennEast case also has huge ramifications for another currently-stalled M-U pipeline. Columbia Gas wants to build a tiny 3.37-mile, 8-inch pipeline under the Potomac River from Maryland to West Virginia. It is being blocked from doing so by the lefties in Maryland (see Fed Judge Upholds Maryland Decision to Block Pipe Under Potomac). Maryland is using the same flawed argument NJ is using. If PennEast wins its case (which is likely), Columbia will have grounds to challenge Maryland.
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Maryland Bd of Public Works Approves Wetlands Permit for Gas Pipe

In December, the Maryland Board of Public Works (BPW), which has three members (two leftwing Democrats and RINO Gov. Larry Hogan), surprisingly approved a 10-inch, 6.83-mile pipeline for the Maryland portion of a 19+ mile project called the Del-Mar Energy Pathway Project, crossing both Delaware and Maryland (see Maryland Board of Public Works Approves Tiny Pipe in Eastern Shore). There is one final bit of that project, several miles that needs a wetlands permit in Maryland in order to build. BPW voted unanimously yesterday to approve the permit.
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Maryland Bd of Public Works Considers Wetlands Permit for Gas Pipe

In December, the Maryland Board of Public Works (BPW), which has three members (two leftwing Democrats and RINO Gov. Larry Hogan), surprisingly approved a 10-inch, 6.83-mile pipeline for the Maryland portion of a 19+ mile project called the Del-Mar Energy Pathway Project, crossing both Delaware and Maryland (see Maryland Board of Public Works Approves Tiny Pipe in Eastern Shore). There is one final bit of that project (10.75 miles) that needs a wetlands permit in Maryland in order to build. BPW will make that decision on Wednesday.
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Maryland Board of Public Works Approves Tiny Pipe in Eastern Shore

Two years ago the Maryland Board of Public Works (BPW), which has three members (two leftwing Democrats and RINO Gov. Larry Hogan), rejected an 8-inch, 3.5-mile pipeline (tiny!) that would travel under the Potomac River, even though 12 other pipelines have previously been built under the Potomac in the same general vicinity (see Maryland Pulls a NY, Rejects Pipeline Under Potomac River). Yesterday the same group of three BPW lefties approved a 10-inch, 6.83-mile pipeline for a different company. Our conclusion: The fix is in. Corruption.
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Maryland Dept. of Environment OKs Tiny Pipeline in Eastern Shore

Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company (ESNG), a subsidiary of Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in Sept. 2018 to build 19+ miles of new pipeline, called the Del-Mar Energy Pathway Project, in Delaware and Maryland. Last week the Maryland Dept. of the Environment (MDE) approved the project. Now the project must pass by the Board of Public Works (BPW). We give it a 50/50 chance of getting approved by the three libs on the BPW.
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Talen Energy Dumping Coal, Converting Elec Plants to Gas in PA, MD

On Tuesday, Talen Energy Corp., under extreme litigation pressure from the odious Sierra Club, announced it will eliminate the use of coal at all of the company’s wholly-owned facilities. Back in 2017 MDN brought you the news that Talen’s coal-fired Brunner Island Power Plant, located in York County, PA, is investing $100 million to retrofit the plant so it can burn 100% Marcellus Shale gas by 2028 (see York County, PA Electric Plant Begins Using NatGas as Fuel). Talen owns another coal-fired plant in PA and two in Maryland. Under an agreement with the Sierra Club, Talen will cease coal operations by 2025 in order to avoid more lawsuits from the Sierra Club bullies.
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DOE Approves Cove Point, Six Other Plants to Export LNG Thru 2050

Last week the U.S. Dept. of Energy announced it has extended the terms of seven long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) export authorizations through 2050. One of the facilities receiving an extension is the Cove Point LNG export facility in Maryland, a facility that exports 100% Marcellus molecules.
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