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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Category: Statewide MD
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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Cove Point LNG Begins to Restart After Annual Maintenance Outage
In September MDN told you that Cove Point LNG had gone offline for roughly three weeks for its annual plant maintenance routine (see Cove Point LNG Down for Maintenance for Next 3 Weeks). We’re happy to report the gas has once again begun to flow to the facility.
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Cove Point LNG Down for Maintenance for Next 3 Weeks
It’s that time of year again. Each fall Dominion Energy takes the Cove Point LNG export terminal offline for annual maintenance work. Every time it happens, the plant is offline for roughly three weeks. We expect the same this year.
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GAIL (India) Shopping for Buyers of 3 Cove Point LNG Cargoes
Pssst. Hey buddy. Ya wanna buy an LNG cargo. Or three? Dominion’s Cove Point LNG export facility along the coast of Maryland liquefies and exports Marcellus Shale gas. Dominion has two customers who buy all of the LNG the facility can produce: Japan and India. GAIL, formerly known as Gas Authority of India Ltd., is looking to sell three upcoming LNG cargoes instead of shipping them all the way to India.
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Mountaineer Gas Seeks Truck Alternative to Blocked Maryland Pipe
Anti-fossil fuelers are on a holy mission to stop a 3.37-mile, 8-inch pipeline from being built under the Potomac River by Columbia Gas (see Maryland Antis Oppose 13th Pipeline Under Potomac as “Dangerous”). The pipeline, from Maryland on one side of the river to West Virginia on the other side, will be built to feed a larger pipeline project from Mountaineer Gas called the Eastern Panhandle Expansion. Mountaineer Gas is getting desperate for more gas to feed growing customer demand.
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Maryland Antis Oppose Tiny New Pipeline in Eastern Shore
Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company (ESNG), a subsidiary company of Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (a company fascinated with chicken poop), filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in Sept. 2018 to build 19+ miles of new pipeline and 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. FERC approved the project last December (see FERC Approves Del-Mar Energy Pathway Pipe Project). You would not believe the irrational opposition to this (frankly) insignificant project.
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FERC Tells Antis “No” for Rehearing Potomac Pipe Decision
Anti-fossil fuelers are on a holy mission to stop a 3.37-mile, 8-inch pipeline from being built under the Potomac River by Columbia Gas (see Maryland Antis Oppose 13th Pipeline Under Potomac as “Dangerous”). The pipeline, from Maryland on one side of the river to West Virginia on the other side, will be built to feed a larger pipeline project from Mountaineer Gas called the Eastern Panhandle Expansion. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the project in July 2018. In August 2018 a group of radicalized anti-fossil fuelers filed a request for a “rehearing” (reconsideration of the decision)–the first step on the way to filing a court case against the project. FERC took its sweet time, but last week the agency finally turned down the antis’ request for a rehearing.
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16 Democrat State AGs Oppose Trump Plan to Ship LNG via Rail
Last April President Trump issued an Executive Order directing the Secretary of Transportation to write a new rule allowing specially constructed tanker cars for railroads (DOT-113 tank cars) to ship LNG, i.e., liquefied natural gas (see Here Come the “Bomb Trains” – Trump to Allow LNG by Rail). The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), issued a “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” (draft regulations) to move the process forward in October (see US DOT Gets Serious About LNG by Rail – Publishes Proposed Rules). Monday was the final day for comments on the proposed rules. Unsurprisingly 16 uber-partisan Democrat state attorneys general filed a joint letter opposing the new regs.
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FERC Approves Del-Mar Energy Pathway Pipe Project
Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company (ESNG), a subsidiary company of Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in Sept. 2018 to build 19+ miles of new pipeline and new meter and delivery stations in Kent and Sussex counties in Delaware, and Wicomico and Somerset counties in Maryland, to carry more PA Marcellus natural gas to locations in Delaware and Maryland. Last Thursday FERC granted final approval for the project.
1/7/20 UPDATE: Chesapeake finally issued a press release on Jan. 7 to tout FERC’s final approval. We’ve included the release below.
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Cove Point LNG in Maryland Loads Milestone 100th Commercial Ship
Seems like just yesterday that Dominion Energy’s Cove Point LNG export plant opened for business–in April 2018 (see First-Ever Shipment of Marcellus LNG Leaves Cove Point, Maryland). Fast forward a year and a half later and on Monday, November 11, Dominion loaded its 100th commercial LNG ship. Let’s celebrate!
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Fed Judge Upholds Maryland Decision to Block Pipe Under Potomac
In May, Columbia Gas Transmission was forced to haul the State of Maryland into court over the state’s refusal to grant an easement to drill a tiny 3.5-mile pipeline under the Potomac River (see Columbia Gas Sues Maryland to Allow Pipeline Under Potomac). In June, Maryland’s anti-fossil fuel Attorney General, Brian Frosh, asked a federal court to dismiss the lawsuit (see Maryland Asks Fed Court to Dismiss Lawsuit Questioning Pipe Rejection). Yesterday a liberal judge with the U.S. District Court in Baltimore sided with Frosh, sadly.
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Antis Try to Block Baltimore Power Plant from Converting to NatGas
Global warming fundamentalists (our new term for radical environmentalists who irrationally hate all fossil fuels) are ramping up to oppose a plan to prevent a now-closed coal-fired electric power plant in Baltimore from reopening powered by natural gas. Because you know, global warming. And because we MUST dump the use of all fossil fuels by 2050 (the new “it” date) or earth will explode. This plant would have a useful life much longer than 2050. Can’t have that.
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Maryland Asks Fed Court to Dismiss Lawsuit Questioning Pipe Rejection
A month ago Columbia Gas Transmission was forced to haul the State of Maryland into court over the state’s refusal to grant an easement to drill a tiny 3.5-mile pipeline under the Potomac River (see Columbia Gas Sues Maryland to Allow Pipeline Under Potomac). Earlier this week Maryland’s anti-fossil fuel Attorney General, Brian Frosh, asked the federal court to dismiss the lawsuit.
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Columbia Gas Sues Maryland to Allow Pipeline Under Potomac
Expressing dismay at needing to do so, Columbia Gas Transmission has been forced to haul the State of Maryland into court over the state’s refusal to grant an easement to drill a tiny 3.5-mile pipeline under the Potomac River. In January, Maryland’s emasculated RINO governor, Larry Hogan, along with two other state officials (both Democrats) who sit on what is called the Maryland Board of Public Works, voted unanimously to deny an easement and permission to build the federally-approved pipeline (see Maryland Pulls a NY, Rejects Pipeline Under Potomac River).
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