North Carolina

Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | North Carolina | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide VA | Statewide WV | Virginia | West Virginia

Dominion Files FERC Application for $5B Atlantic Coast Pipeline
September 21, 2015September 21, 2015

Dominion’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) faces some stiff opposition from the anti-drilling, landed gentry class, along with opposition from the usual anti-fossil fuel nutters and even opposition from Obama-controlled agencies including the BLM, FWS and USFS (see our ACP stories here). Even so, on Friday Dominion filed their official application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to get the pipeline approved. ACP, as a reminder, is a $5 billion, 564-mile natural gas pipeline starting in West Virginia, traveling through Virginia and on into North Carolina. The governors of all three states, two Democrats and one Republican, all strongly support the project. So too do a majority of residents in all three states (see Millions of People Support Atlantic Coast Pipeline via New Group). Just to give you an idea of how phenomenally over-complicated the process is, Dominion’s application was 30,000 pages long, a stack of paper 10 feet high…
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Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | North Carolina | Pipelines | Public Opinion | Statewide VA | Statewide WV | Virginia | West Virginia

Poll: Majority of Voters in VA, WV, NC Favor Atlantic Coast Pipeline
June 15, 2015June 15, 2015

The Consumer Energy Alliance, a non-partisan group providing consumers with sound, unbiased information on U.S. and global energy issues, recently published the results of a scientific poll of residents in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia that has major implications for pipelines and infrastructure work in the Marcellus/Utica. The poll found majorities of voters in NC, VA and WV have heard about Dominion’s $5 billion, 550-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline–and they support it. Voters overwhelmingly believe pipelines are the safest means to transport natural gas. More than 80% of the voters surveyed said energy will be a significant factor in how they vote. This is really good news for the shale industry. Seems we’re constantly bludgeoned in the northeast when it comes to pipeline projects (NY, MA, NH, et al). But not in the southeast. Voters there have their heads screwed on straight and can tell the difference between the truth and lie–and they know that pipelines like the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will be good for their region. Of course, voters in the southeast tend to be Republican/Conservative and sure enough, the results show that a large majority of those identifying as Republicans and/or Conservatives support pipelines, whereas a majority of Democrats/Liberals don’t. Pipelines, like drilling, are a partisan issue. It shouldn’t be that way! These issues should be decided on the science–but science was thrown out the window a long time ago. Drilling and pipelines–indeed your attitude on the use of fossil fuels–is largely determined by your political philosophy. Below we have a summary of the poll, along with the details (crosstabs), for those who want to dig into the nitty gritty…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | North Carolina | Regulation

Lawsuit Won’t Stop NC Agency from Drilling Test Holes in Shale
May 26, 2015May 26, 2015

An interesting twist in the story out of North Carolina where a judge recently halted the forward momentum on fracking in the Tar Heel State that was set to begin in July (see Judge Puts NC Fracking on Hold Pending Outcome of Lawsuit). Even though Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald W. Stephens’ decision means the Mining and Energy Commission (MEC) can’t issue permits for drilling and fracking in shale deposits, that isn’t stopping the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) from contracting with a private drilling company to sink a series of test holes in Stokes, Scotland, Hoke and Cumberland counties starting June 12 to see whether shale gas is present in those locations…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | North Carolina | Regulation

Judge Puts NC Fracking on Hold Pending Outcome of Lawsuit
May 21, 2015May 21, 2015

Last July MDN told you that the first permits to frack shale wells in North Carolina would start to be issued this July (see North Carolina Shames New York: Fracking Begins in 2015). The NC Mining and Energy Commission did its part and completed regulations in March (see Triassic Park: North Carolina Becomes 34th State to Frack Shale). Everything was set to go. And then the lawsuits began. A NC judge has issued a ruling that prohibits the Mining and Energy Commission from issuing any permits until another case currently before the NC Supreme Court–questioning the legality of the appointment of several boards that manage state resources and the environment–plays out. It’s a pretty safe bet that the first permits to frack in NC won’t happen in July…
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Industrywide Issues | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide NY | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide VA | Statewide WV | Virginia | West Virginia

USGS Says There’s Plenty More Fossil Fuels to Come in Appalachia
March 31, 2015March 31, 2015

There were plenty of fossil fuels in the past 150 years in Appalachia–an area stretching from the northeast to the south–and there’s plenty more where those came from. That’s the conclusion from an updated series of papers collected together in a new U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper (#1708) called “Coal and Petroleum Resources in the Appalachian Basin: Distribution, Geologic Framework, and Geochemical Character” (free access, linked below). The USGS says, “Professional Paper 1708 is a modern, indepth collection of reports, cross sections, and maps that describe the geology of the Appalachian basin and its fossil fuel resources. This publication supplements and updates older USGS regional studies of Appalachian basin coal and petroleum resources.” Here’s an abstract/summary of what’s in the new report…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | North Carolina | Regulation

Triassic Park: North Carolina Becomes 34th State to Frack Shale
March 18, 2015March 18, 2015

Yesterday some 120 new rules that govern oil and gas drilling in North Carolina–including a rule that lifts the moratorium on fracking shale deposits–went into effect. In just a couple of years NC was able to do what so far New York hasn’t been able to do in nearly seven years–it became the 34th state to allow shale drilling. While all shale layers are now open for business, the initial flurry of interest seems to be centered in the center of the state in Lee, Moore and Chatham counties. Popularly its called the Triassic Basin, although technically it’s part of a broader area called the Deep River Basin. Within the Triassic is a sub-basin called the Sanford, and it’s there that two companies are already “aggressively” leasing in the area…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | North Carolina

The Behavioral Differences Between Anti- and Pro-Drillers
September 4, 2014September 4, 2014

Over the years of covering the debate on fracking and shale drilling, MDN editor Jim Willis has, on many occasions, sat in public meetings and personally witnessed those who oppose drilling (anti-drillers) behaving badly. We understand people having a different viewpoint–wrong viewpoints, but different. We respect that. However, those with an opposite viewpoint don’t reciprocate that respect. It’s not uncommon for anti-drillers to boo, clap, hiss and engage in all manner of theatrics and histrionics–especially if there are cameras and microphones in the room. No camera or microphone? They bring them along to record their own rude behavior! Seems it’s a source of pride for them. As we’ve pointed out many times before, many of these people are hippie retreads–either actual hippies from the 60s who seem to have found a new purpose for otherwise dull lives, or college-aged kids who somehow romanticize and view themselves as being cut from the same radical cloth. MDN is not the only place to notice anti-drillers behaving badly. Forbes magazine has too…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | North Carolina | Regulation

Fracking on the Way in North Carolina, Still a Long Road Ahead
April 16, 2014April 16, 2014

Fracking is on the way in North Carolina and likely to begin about a year from now, which is great news for North Carolinians. No, there is no Marcellus or Utica Shale under North Carolina, but there is the Dan River Basin and the Deep River Basin in central NC–basins which contain organic-rich shale rock. However, before the drill bit hits the ground next year, the NC Mining and Energy Commission needs to finish up proposed new drilling regulations, hold public hearings, and get the state legislature to sign off on the final version. In other words–it’s still a long road from here to there.

Here’s an update on what needs to happen, and on efforts by virulently anti-drilling groups with words like “riverkeeper” and “clean water” in the name attempting to perform an ideological abortion on the miracle of shale drilling before it can be born in NC…
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