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BHE’s Eastern Gas Pipe Proposes Expansion to Flow M-U Gas to D.C.

It’s always a red-letter day here at MDN HQ when we happen across a new pipeline project in the Marcellus/Utica region. Today is one of those days! Eastern Gas Transmission and Storage, a subsidiary of billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE), filed a new project with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in December to beef up three existing compressor stations in Centre County, Clinton County, and Franklin County in Pennsylvania, and one existing compressor station in Loudoun County, Virginia, with the aim of flowing more Marcellus molecules to the Washington, D.C. area. Read More “BHE’s Eastern Gas Pipe Proposes Expansion to Flow M-U Gas to D.C.”

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SRBC Approved 1 New, 41 Renewed Water Requests for Shale Wells

The highly functional and responsible Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), unlike its completely dysfunctional and irresponsible cousin, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), continues to support the shale energy industry by approving water withdrawals for responsible and safe shale drilling. The Pennsylvania Bulletin from this past Saturday (Nov. 23) carried an official notice from the SRBC that the agency’s Executive Director gave his approval to one new and 41 renewed general water use permits in October for individual shale gas wells in Bradford, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Lycoming, Susquehanna, Tioga and Wyoming counties. Read More “SRBC Approved 1 New, 41 Renewed Water Requests for Shale Wells”

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SRBC Approved Another 24 Water Use Permits for PA Drilling/Fracking

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) published a notice in the Saturday edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin that says the SRBC’s Executive Director recently approved or renewed 24 general water use permits for shale gas drilling pads in Bradford, Cameron, Clearfield, Clinton, Lycoming, Susquehanna, Tioga and Wyoming counties in the Keystone State (full list below). Approval by the Executive Director is the first step in the process. Each permit will also require a separate water withdrawal approval before water begins to flow from the Susquehanna (and its tributaries) to shale well pads. Read More “SRBC Approved Another 24 Water Use Permits for PA Drilling/Fracking”

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PA DEP Issues Permit for LNG Production Plant in Clinton County

Nearly one year ago, in August 2023, MDN brought you an update on the KeyState Natural Gas Synthesis project in Clinton County, PA (see KeyState NatGas/CCUS Project in Clinton, PA Now $2B, Extra 2 Yrs). The project is developing the first carbon capture project in Pennsylvania to produce hydrogen, ammonia, and urea locally. It includes a closed natural gas extraction and manufacturing system that produces zero emissions and emission-reduced products. Frontier Natural Resources, Inc. is a partner in the KeyState project. The PA Environment Digest Blog noticed that the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has just issued an Air Quality Permit Plan Approval to authorize the construction and operation of the Frontier LNG natural gas production facility at the Winner 4H Shale Gas Well Pad in West Keating Township, Clinton County.
Read More “PA DEP Issues Permit for LNG Production Plant in Clinton County”

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13 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Aug 28 – Sep 3

New shale permits issued for Aug 28 – Sep 3 in the Marcellus/Utica continued to decline. There were 13 new permits issued last week, down from 16 issued two weeks ago, and way down from the 27 issued three weeks ago. Last week’s permit tally included 8 new permits in Pennsylvania, 5 new permits in Ohio, and no new permits in West Virginia (WV has issued no permits in five of the last six weeks). Three drillers tied for the top recipient with a piddly 3 permits each: Chesapeake Energy, Snyder Brothers, and Southwestern Energy.
Read More “13 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Aug 28 – Sep 3”

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KeyState NatGas/CCUS Project in Clinton, PA Now $2B, Extra 2 Yrs

The KeyState Natural Gas Synthesis project in Clinton County, PA, is developing the first carbon capture project in Pennsylvania, which will locally produce hydrogen, ammonia, and urea (see Innovative Clinton County, PA Petchem Plant Gets More Investors). The project includes a closed natural gas extraction and manufacturing system that produces zero emissions and emission-reduced products. The last time we checked, the estimated cost to build the project was $400-$500 million, and it would be up and running by the end of 2026. Strike that! In an update, the project (which is under construction) will take upward of $2 billion (!) to build and won’t be ready until “2027 or 2028.” However, the extra money and extra time are a good sign.
Read More “KeyState NatGas/CCUS Project in Clinton, PA Now $2B, Extra 2 Yrs”

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Bad Guys Win – Builder Cancels $1B Renovo Gas-Fired Power Plant

The same three radicalized environmental groups that have repeatedly attacked the $1.1 billion Renovo Energy Center (REC), a Marcellus gas-fired power plant planned for Clinton County, PA, have finally won. The Clean Air Council, PennFuture, and the Center for Biological Diversity (all completely radicalized fossil fuel bigots) have repeatedly challenged permits for REC. Last week the builder of the project, Bechtel Corp., announced it is pulling out of the project which has been in the planning stages for eight years. The reason for canceling the project is because of “the ongoing appeals from environmental groups.” What a tragedy.
Read More “Bad Guys Win – Builder Cancels $1B Renovo Gas-Fired Power Plant”

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PA DEP Extends Renovo Gas-Fired Plant Permit, Radicals Appeal

The same three radicalized environmental groups that previously attacked the Renovo Energy Center (REC), a Marcellus gas-fired power plant planned for Clinton County, PA, are at it again. On November 22, the Clean Air Council, PennFuture, and the Center for Biological Diversity (all completely radicalized fossil fuel bigots) announced they had appealed an extension of time for an air pollution permit granted to REC by the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Read More “PA DEP Extends Renovo Gas-Fired Plant Permit, Radicals Appeal”

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Nikola Trucks Will Use Hydrogen from KeyState’s PA NatGas Project

Nikola TRE FCEV

The KeyState Natural Gas Synthesis project in Clinton County, PA, is developing the first carbon capture project in Pennsylvania, which will locally produce hydrogen, ammonia, and urea (see Innovative Clinton County, PA Petchem Plant Gets More Investors). The $400-$500 million project will drill for the natural gas, transport and process it, and manufacture the end products–all within a self-contained, closed loop, nearly eliminating emissions by capturing and sequestering the carbon underground in the process. KeyState now has a major customer lined up to use the hydrogen it will produce: Nikola Corporation.
Read More “Nikola Trucks Will Use Hydrogen from KeyState’s PA NatGas Project”

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Renovo Energy Center Signals It Will Comply with Lower Air Permit

Last week MDN told you that three radical environmental groups challenging an air permit issued by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the Renovo Energy Center, a Marcellus-fired power plant in Clinton County, PA, won a partial summary judgment lowering the amount of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) the new plant can emit (see Radicals Win Challenge Against Renovo Energy Center in NCPA). At the time, we asked the question, “Is this a fatal blow for the $1 billion project and the 700 jobs attached to it?” We now have the answer…
Read More “Renovo Energy Center Signals It Will Comply with Lower Air Permit”

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Radicals Win Challenge Against Renovo Energy Center in NCPA

In May 2021, the radicals from PennFuture, the Philadelphia-based Clean Air Council, and the so-called Center for Biological Diversity (better named the Center for Leftwing Conformity) challenged an air permit issued by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the Renovo Energy Center, a Marcellus-fired power plant in Clinton County (northcentral), PA (see PA DEP Approves Renovo Energy Center in Clinton Cnty, Antis Appeal). The state Environmental Hearing Board (EHB), a special court set up to hear challenges of DEP decisions, ruled earlier this week that the radicals are correct and the DEP should not have issued an air permit with “high” levels of sulfur dioxide and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Is this a fatal blow for the $1 billion project and the 700 jobs attached to it?
Read More “Radicals Win Challenge Against Renovo Energy Center in NCPA”

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29 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jun 20-26

Last week, for June 20-26, the number of new permits issued to drill in the Marcellus/Utica decreased just a bit to 29 (from 34 the week prior). Pennsylvania issued 15 new permits, all but one in southwestern PA. Five of PA’s permits went to PennEnergy Resources in Butler County, four to Range Resources in Washington County, and three to Apex Energy in Westmoreland County. Ohio issued 10 new permits with five going to Encino Energy (EAP) in Carroll County and three going to Ascent Resources in Belmont County. Finally, West Virginia issued four new permits, all of them to Tug Hill Operating. In each case the permits were for multiple wells on single well pads.
Read More “29 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jun 20-26”

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OGCI Invests in PA KeyState Natural Gas/CCUS Project

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Earlier this week the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) Climate Investments fund announced it is investing in the KeyState Natural Gas Synthesis project in Clinton County, PA. KeyState is developing the first carbon capture project in Pennsylvania, which will locally produce hydrogen, ammonia and urea. The $400-$500 million project will drill for the natural gas, transport and process it, and manufacture the end products–all within a self-contained, closed loop, nearly eliminating emissions by capturing and sequestering the carbon underground in the process.
Read More “OGCI Invests in PA KeyState Natural Gas/CCUS Project”

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Clinton County Renovo Gas-Fired Plant On Hold Due to Air Permit

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In 2020, MDN told you about the Marcellus-fired power plant planned for Clinton County, PA called the Renovo Energy Center, a resurrected project come back to life as an even bigger project that will produce 1,240 megawatts of electricity (see Renovo Energy Center Roars Back to Life, Upsized to 1,240 MW). The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved the project in April 2021, including an amended air quality permit (see Update on Renovo Marcellus-Fired Plant in Clinton County, PA). Last night Clinton County commissioners voted unanimously to support the project. But there’s a problem…
Read More “Clinton County Renovo Gas-Fired Plant On Hold Due to Air Permit”

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61 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jan 17-23

Holy smokes! What just happened? For months (and months and months) the cumulative number of weekly permits issued to drill new shale wells in the Marcellus/Utica has fluctuated from the low teens to perhaps 30 total on the upper end. Last week, from Jan. 17-23, an amazing 61 permits were issued to drill new shale wells. Double the usual. Wow! Pennsylvania issued 24 new permits, Ohio issued 9, and blow-the-doors-off-we’ve-never-seen-so-many-permits-issued-in-one-week for West Virginia, the Mountain State issued 28 new shale permits.
Read More “61 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jan 17-23”

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16 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Nov 1-7

Three weeks ago the total number of permits issued in the Marcellus/Utica was 22. Two weeks ago it fell to 9. Last week the numbers picked up somewhat, with 16 new permits issued, breaking down as: 12 permits issued in Pennsylvania, 2 permits issued in Ohio, and 2 permits issued in West Virginia.
Read More “16 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Nov 1-7”