Orange County

Electrical Generation | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Millennium Pipeline | New York | Orange County | Regulation

Update on Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Power Plant
May 23, 2017May 23, 2017

MDN previously reported on a $900 million Marcellus gas-fired electric generating plant coming to Orange County, NY (see Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge). The CPV (Competitive Power Ventures) Valley Energy Center project was vigorously opposed by local anti-drilling ninny nannies, including Hollywood star James Cromwell. No matter. The plant is now under construction, as we reported in March (see Construction Update on CPV NatGas Power Plant Near Middletown, NY). The good news is that construction of the plant is “moving full-steam ahead” and is on track to go online in early 2018. The local economic development agency said the plant has been a boon to the local economy. Here’s the latest about the CPV Valley Energy Center project, that somehow, against all odds, is getting built in New York State… Read More “Update on Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Power Plant”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | New York | Orange County

Construction Update on CPV NatGas Power Plant Near Middletown, NY
March 13, 2017March 13, 2017

CPV Valley Energy Center – under construction

MDN previously reported on a $900 million natural gas-fired electric generating plant coming to Orange County, NY (see Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge). The CPV (Competitive Power Ventures) Valley Energy Center project is being opposed by local anti-drilling ninny nannies, including Hollywood star James Cromwell. No matter. The plant is now under construction. Currently the natural gas pipeline that will feed the plant is in court, trying to sidestep foot-dragging by the corrupt Cuomo Dept. of Environmental Conservation (see Millennium Pipeline Sues Cuomo’s Corrupt DEC Over Expansion Delay). We expect that will be resolved soon, with permission granted. In the meantime, the new news is that not only is the $900 million plant itself under construction, high-voltage electric lines and substation are also under construction to connect the plant to the power grid…
Read More “Construction Update on CPV NatGas Power Plant Near Middletown, NY”
Electrical Generation | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Millennium Pipeline | New York | Orange County | Pipelines | Regulation

Millennium Asks FERC for OK to Cut Trees in NY w/o DEC Permits
March 1, 2017March 1, 2017

New York State is a hopeless, corrupt mess. MDN previously reported on a $900 million natural gas-fired electric generating plant coming to Orange County, NY (see Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge). The CPV (Competitive Power Ventures) Valley Energy Center project is being opposed by local anti-drilling ninny nannies, including Hollywood star James Cromwell. No matter. It’s already under construction. The problem now is getting a 7.8 mile pipeline, an off-shoot pipeline from the mighty Millennium Pipeline, built to the plant to supply the natural gas it will need to run. In November the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the short pipeline (see FERC Approves Pipeline to Orange County, NY NatGas Power Plant). However, as with the Constitution Pipeline, the Cuomo Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is intentionally blocking this pipeline using delays. Millennium is not, like Williams did with the Constitution, sitting on its hands waiting for the DEC. The Millennium is aggressively pushing the DEC to grant the necessary water crossing permits and sued the DEC in January to make it happen (see Millennium Pipeline Sues Cuomo’s Corrupt DEC Over Expansion Delay). As with other such projects, Millennium is playing beat the clock with respect to cutting down trees before March 31. After that date federal law prohibits large-scale tree removal in order to protect roosting bats (don’t ask). Millennium, we are happy to report, continues to push aggressively. They’ve asked FERC for permission to cut down trees not on or near swamps, er a, wetlands, without having state permission in hand to do so. In other words, Millennium is asking FERC to put its boot on the neck of the DEC and push. Love it!…
Read More “Millennium Asks FERC for OK to Cut Trees in NY w/o DEC Permits”
Crestwood Midstream | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | NGLs | Orange County

Crestwood Building Rail-to-Truck NGL Terminal in Orange County, NY
February 22, 2017February 22, 2017

Crestwood concept drawing for rail terminal in Orange County, NY – click for larger version

As MDN was reading through the latest quarterly/full year 2016 update for Crestwood Equity Partners (formerly known as Crestwood Midstream), we discovered something fairly innocuous, but in our book, a big deal. Crestwood said the company is “developing a greenfield rail-to-truck NGL terminal in Montgomery, NY that will increase propane supply reliability across the Northeast markets. The terminal, which is expected to be placed into service in the summer of 2017, will be supported by product controlled by Crestwood from multiple producers in the Marcellus and Utica regions.” What?! How did that one slip by? Crestwood is in the process of building, and will open, a terminal to distribute propane–in Orange County, NY (not far from New York City). This is good news indeed–and we wonder how and why the antis haven’t been bleating about this project, the way they have been about Crestwood’s long-delayed propane storage facility along the shoreline of Seneca Lake (near Watkins Glen). No matter–we’ll take our small victories where and when we can get them. Disappointingly Crestwood makes no mention of the Finger Lakes LPG storage facility in their update. But the Marcellus does get a few mentions. Below are what we gleaned from the latest update on Crestwood’s Marcellus operations, along with more background on the forthcoming propane terminal in Orange County…
Read More “Crestwood Building Rail-to-Truck NGL Terminal in Orange County, NY”
Electrical Generation | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Millennium Pipeline | New York | Orange County | Pipelines | Regulation

Millennium Pipeline Sues Cuomo’s Corrupt DEC Over Expansion Delay
January 23, 2017January 23, 2017

MDN has previously reported on a $900 million natural gas-fired electric generating plant coming to Orange County, NY (see Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge). The CPV (Competitive Power Ventures) Valley Energy Center project is being opposed by local anti-drilling ninny nannies, including Hollywood star James Cromwell. No matter. It’s already under construction. Unfortunately the very worthy project is marred by corruption inside the Cuomo Administration (see NY NatGas-Fired Electric Plant an Inside Job for Corrupt Cuomo Aide). However, construction continues and the plant will get built. The problem now is getting a 7.8 mile pipeline, an off-shoot pipeline from the mighty Millennium Pipeline, built to the plant to supply the natural gas it will need to run. In November the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the short pipeline (see FERC Approves Pipeline to Orange County, NY NatGas Power Plant). However, as with the Constitution Pipeline, the Cuomo Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is intentionally blocking this pipeline using delays–no doubt at Cuomo’s direction. Millennium is not, like Williams did with the Constitution, sitting on its hands waiting for the DEC. The Millennium is aggressively pushing the DEC to grant the necessary water crossing permits and has just sued the DEC to make it happen…
Read More “Millennium Pipeline Sues Cuomo’s Corrupt DEC Over Expansion Delay”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Millennium Pipeline | New York | Orange County | Pipelines | Regulation

FERC Approves Pipeline to Orange County, NY NatGas Power Plant
November 14, 2016November 14, 2016

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved a 7.8 mile off-shoot pipeline from the mighty Millennium Pipeline in Orange County, NY that will feed a new natgas-fired electric plant being built in Wawayanda. The pipeline will supply 130 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of Marcellus gas to feed the new power plant. This is the Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) $900 million plant being opposed by rich Hollywood actor James Cromwell, who lives near the plant site (see Actor James Cromwell Arrested Protesting NY Power Plant Site). The plant has been subjected to several frivolous lawsuits, but was OK’d by a judge last year (see Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge). The last hope of the objectors was to appeal to FERC, telling FERC they should not be the ones overseeing the project since the Millennium Pipeline doesn’t cross state boundaries, and it will feed a power plant inside NY–i.e., it’s not an “interstate” but an “intrastate” project that should be overseen by NY authorities. FERC rejected that line of reasoning…
Read More “FERC Approves Pipeline to Orange County, NY NatGas Power Plant”
Crime | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | New York | Orange County

NY NatGas-Fired Electric Plant an Inside Job for Corrupt Cuomo Aide
September 26, 2016September 26, 2016

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara is about to claim another high-level scalp in corruption that seems to pervade New York State. Bharara has already brought cases that convicted both the Speaker of the Assembly Sheldon Silver (a Democrat) and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (a Republican) for corruption and bribes. With each case Bharara gets closer to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Last week he got REALLY close. A former close Cuomo aide was indicted on bribery charges. The unfortunate aspect of this story is that he was bribed in connection with a project MDN has lent moral support to–a $900 million natural gas-fired electric generating plant in Orange County, NY (see Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge). The power plant is being opposed by local anti-drilling ninny nannies, including Hollywood star James Cromwell. Yeah, that plant. According to charges filed by Bharara, Joseph Percoco, a 47-year-old former executive deputy secretary to Cuomo sought and got $280,000 in bribes from Competitive Power Ventures, the company building the power plant, and Percoco’s wife got a $90,000/year job from CPV to do nothing, all connected to getting the project approved and built. Crony capitalism is always disgusting–whether it’s for a good cause or not. The CPV plant planned for Orange County will be fed by Marcellus Shale gas, piped to it via the Millennium Pipeline. Is that project now in doubt?…
Read More “NY NatGas-Fired Electric Plant an Inside Job for Corrupt Cuomo Aide”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | Orange County | Pipelines | Spectra Energy | Westchester County

Hypocrites Protest “Fracked Gas Infrastructure” in Hudson Valley
April 5, 2016April 5, 2016

We spotted a story from the Hudson Valley area of New York State–close enough to New York City that it’s infested with anti-drilling liberals–that caught our attention for a couple of reasons. It’s a story of about a protest held yesterday in Peekskill, NY. The protest was against Spectra Energy’s work on their Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) pipeline project. From all appearances, four protesters showed up for the protest–and yet it got big news treatment. Most Sundays there are more than four people who show up at MDN HQ for lunch (when our kids come home to visit). The local newspaper hasn’t ever shown up to cover these momentous (for the Willis household) events. Perhaps if we held up a big banner outside that says “Welcome Home Children” the local news outlets would arrive and cover it? But we digress. The other aspect of the story that caught our attention is the admission by one of the protesters that they not only oppose the AIM project–they oppose all “fracked gas infrastructure” projects. She is demanding that NY “transition to safe, clean, renewable energy, which is wind, water and solar.” That is, the protesters are animated and motivated by an irrational hatred of all fossil fuels. How did the protesters arrive at their protest? Driving cars that burn fossil fuels riding on tires made from petroleum products and sitting on seats made from plastic (a petroleum product) wearing clothes on their bodies and shoes on their feet made from petroleum products. Holding up signs objecting to…petroleum products…
Read More “Hypocrites Protest “Fracked Gas Infrastructure” in Hudson Valley”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | New York | Orange County

Blat Session to Oppose Upstate NY NatGas-Fired Electric Plant
January 22, 2016January 22, 2016

Last September Hollywood actor James Cromwell, who lives in Manhattan and keeps a summer home in upstate–Orange County, NY–banded with some of his anti-fossil fuel neighbors and sued to stop the Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) $900 million natural gas-fired electric generating plant planned to be built near his home. The frivolous lawsuit was tossed out (see Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge). What’s a spoiled rich kid from Manhattan who wants to keep upstate pristine as his own private playground going to do? Get a bunch of easily-impressed neighbors to stage a sit-in and illegally block construction at the site. Which they did, and promptly got arrested for (see Actor James Cromwell Arrested Protesting NY Power Plant Site). This is the story that keeps on giving. Another has-been like Cromwell, former Congressman Dennis Kucinich (left of Bernie Sanders, if that’s possible), showed up at a blat session on Wednesday to lend his voice in opposition…
Read More “Blat Session to Oppose Upstate NY NatGas-Fired Electric Plant”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Crime | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | New York | Orange County

Actor James Cromwell Arrested Protesting NY Power Plant Site
December 21, 2015December 21, 2015

James Cromwell as Zefram Cochrane

Hollywood actor James Cromwell was born in Manhattan (NYC) and maintains a summer home in upstate–in Orange County, NY. Cromwell played Zefram Cochrane (mythical creator of the warp engine) in the 1996 movie Star Trek: First Contact (one of our favs). It was distressing to learn that Cromwell is the latest Hollywood know-nothing to oppose natural gas. Cromwell opposes a clean-burning natural gas-fired electric plant being built near his summer home in Orange County, because, well, because it’s being built near his summer home (see Star Trek Actor with Upstate NY Home Speaks Against Power Plant). In September Cromwell and other area anti-fossil fuelers sued to stop the Competitive Power Ventures $900 million project–perhaps they prefer dilithium crystals to natgas? The frivolous lawsuit was tossed out (see Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge). Well, what’s a spoiled rich kid from Manhattan who wants to keep upstate pristine as his own private playground going to do? Get a bunch of easily-impressed neighbors to stage a sit-in and illegally block construction at the site. That’s what Cromwell and some of his homies did last Friday–they got arrested and carted away to the klink…
Read More “Actor James Cromwell Arrested Protesting NY Power Plant Site”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Orange County

Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge
September 9, 2015September 9, 2015

James Cromwell as Zefram Cochrane

Several weeks ago MDN told you about local opposition in Orange County, NY to a proposed clean-burning natural gas-fired electric generating plant (see Star Trek Actor with Upstate NY Home Speaks Against Power Plant). We were disappointed that “Zefram Cochrane” (actor James Cromwell) lent his voice to the Luddites of Orange County in opposing the project. No matter. The judge in the case dismissed a lawsuit brought by those opposing the plant. It’s now full warp speed ahead…
Read More “Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Orange County

Star Trek Actor with Upstate NY Home Speaks Against Power Plant
August 21, 2015August 21, 2015

James Cromwell as Zefram Cochrane

Oh darnit…Don’t tell us Zefram Cochrane is against a new clean-burning natural gas electric plant too! Who’s Zefram Cochrane? He’s the fictional creator of the warp drive that powers star ships like the Enterprise in the Star Trek pantheon of television and movie series. Actor James Cromwell played Cochrane in the 1996 movie Star Trek: First Contact. (Yes, we’re big-time Trekkies!) Cromwell, also known for his role as Farmer Arthur Hoggett in the 1995 movie Babe (he was nominated for an Academy Award), was born and raised in Manhattan and maintains a summer home in upstate New York in Orange County, near Middletown. Cromwell is a big-time liberal–someone who thinks upstate should be the personal playground for rich, New York City libs, kept pristine from any kind of development. In other words–keep the poor folk poor in upstate so the rich folk from the city can enjoy their weekends unmolested by the noise of trucks and bulldozers. And therein lies our distress. We like Cromwell’s acting, but not his acting when he attended a court hearing in Orange County last week to lend his voice and his fame to an effort to stop a proposed Marcellus gas-fired electric plant planned for the Town of Wawayanda, near Cromwell’s summer home…
Read More “Star Trek Actor with Upstate NY Home Speaks Against Power Plant”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Millennium Pipeline | New York | Orange County | Pipelines

NY Anti-Driller Claims Compressor Station Causing Son’s Asthma
June 20, 2014June 20, 2014

A small group of virulent anti-drillers from New York City, who flee the city on the weekends and live in places like Orange County, NY, are once again slandering Marcellus drilling in New York State by targeting industry-related initiatives like pipeline compressor stations. To wit: A family who opposed the compressor station built by the Millennium Pipeline in Minisink, NY (southwest Orange County) now claim their 16-year old son has had a “sudden onset” of asthma which occurs only when they flee the city for the weekends to their summer home in Minisink. They conveniently blame the compressor station. What to do? Hire a so-called consultant to address a small group in the area, get a local reporter to show up and regurgitate a whopping pack of lies to scare everyone who reads the local rag…
Read More “NY Anti-Driller Claims Compressor Station Causing Son’s Asthma”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Orange County | Regulation | Sullivan County | Ulster County

List of Mid-Hudson Valley Towns & Companies Supporting Frack Ban
March 25, 2013March 25, 2013

In a recent article from a Middletown, NY newspaper we find a handy list of not only towns who have voted to ban fracking in the mid-Hudson Valley area, but also some of the businesses who have signed on as “friends of the court” to support the fracking bans of Dryden and Middlefield (see Town Frack Ban Cases Heard in NY Supreme Court Appellate Division). These are businesses you may want to consider avoiding in future business dealings—we know we would choose to not do business with them if we lived in Sullivan, Ulster or Orange counties…

Read More “List of Mid-Hudson Valley Towns & Companies Supporting Frack Ban”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Orange County | Regulation

Warwick, NY Hypocritically Bans Fracking – We Have a Suggestion
March 1, 2013March 1, 2013

Another group of well-meaning but energy-ignorant New York town board members have voted to ban fracking—this time in the town of Warwick, NY (Orange County—Hudson Valley area). Although there’s no Marcellus or Utica Shale under the town, town council members wanted to make a statement—loud and clear—that they hate fracking and want to strip away the property rights of landowners in the town. Message received.

Just a thought: As MDN readers know, all natural gas comes from well bores that have been fracked. Fracking is used in both horizontal (unconventional) and vertical (conventional) wells. Even conventional natural gas wells in New York are fracked—you did know that, right? If Warwick council members want to make a more meaningful and impactful statement about fracking, we propose the town simply ban the use of natural gas inside town boundaries—by everyone. What’s that? Warwick Town Supervisor Mike Sweeton himself burns natural gas? Say it ain’t so!…

Read More “Warwick, NY Hypocritically Bans Fracking – We Have a Suggestion”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Orange County | Statewide NY | Sullivan County | Ulster County

Mid-Hudson Valley NY Towns For and Against Drilling
November 19, 2012November 19, 2012

Where do Orange, Ulster and Sullivan county towns (in New York State) stand on the issue of fracking and gas drilling? All three of them could conceivably see drilling of some kind should it be allowed, although only Sullivan is squarely in both the Marcellus and Utica Shale boundary (Orange has just a small slice within the boundary, and perhaps half of Ulster, see the Marcellus and Utica Shale Databook Volume 2 for a map showing the boundaries). However, anti-drilling sentiments run deep the closer you get to the orbit of New York City, and all three counties are in that orbit.

The Middletown Times Herald-Record takes a look at the latest towns for and against fracking in Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties:

Read More “Mid-Hudson Valley NY Towns For and Against Drilling”