Virginia

Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines | Virginia

VA Court Rejects Town Zoning Board Attempt to Block Pipeline
July 14, 2025July 14, 2025

A pipeline court case to celebrate (we take our victories where we can find them). Washington Gas Light Company (WGL) seeks to install a 24-inch-diameter high-pressure natural gas pipeline through the Pimmit Hills neighborhood in Fairfax County, Virginia. Fairfax County is a suburb of Washington, D.C. The County Zoning Board of Appeals claimed the project needs a “special exemption” issued by the County Board of Supervisors (nine of the Supervisors are Democrats, one is a Republican). The Court of Appeals for Virginia knocked that bogus claim down. Read More “VA Court Rejects Town Zoning Board Attempt to Block Pipeline”
Electrical Generation | Energy Services | Equitrans/EQT Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Statewide VA | Statewide WV | Virginia | West Virginia

MVP Played “Critical Role” in Keeping the Lights on Last Winter
June 12, 2025June 12, 2025

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), and its Regional Entities recently issued a report reviewing how the country’s Bulk-Power System performed well during successive cold weather events in January 2025. The report found that the system was a stellar performer, with no significant issues in either the natural gas or electric systems. The 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) was called out for its “crucial role” in helping to keep the lights on throughout the Atlantic Coast region during the coldest parts of winter. Read More “MVP Played “Critical Role” in Keeping the Lights on Last Winter”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Statewide VA | Transco | Virginia | Williams

Williams Announces Transco Expansion to Flow More M-U to Virginia
May 12, 2025May 12, 2025

During last week’s first quarter update from Williams, management announced a new project called the Transco Power Express expansion. The project will expand Transco capacity by a whopping 950 MMcf/d (nearly a full Bcf) to flow more Marcellus/Utica molecules to the power-hungry Virginia market. The Virginia market is power hungry because of the data centers already built there, and the many more planned for the state. The Power Express project, if built, is expected to go online in the third quarter of 2030 (five years from now). Read More “Williams Announces Transco Expansion to Flow More M-U to Virginia”
Chesterfield County | Dominion Energy | Electrical Generation | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Virginia

Dominion Seeks to Build Lines for Gas-Fired Power to Va. Data Center
April 29, 2025April 29, 2025

Dominion Energy and its operations in Chesterfield County, Virginia (near Richmond) are in the news again, but not for the same reason you may think. We previously told you about Dominion’s project to build a “peaker” electric generating plant in Chesterfield (see Dominion Plans to Build 1,000-MW Gas Peaker Plant Near Richmond, VA). The Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center (CERC) calls for building four 250-megawatt gas-fired power plants (1,000 MW total) that can jump into action during the coldest and hottest days of the year to help supply enough electricity for 250,000 homes—to keep the lights on because solar and wind are not up to the task. Dominion now wants to run several “seven-mile-long high voltage lines” in western Chesterfield County to serve a planned hyperscale data center. Read More “Dominion Seeks to Build Lines for Gas-Fired Power to Va. Data Center”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Research | Virginia

Fake Harvard Research Helped Defeat Virginia Power Plant Project
April 23, 2025April 23, 2025

One week ago, MDN told you that an on-again, off-again plan to build a massive natural gas-fired power plant (that would use Marcellus gas) in Pittsylvania County, Va., had been pulled by the builder (see Plan for Va. Data Center with 3,500 MW Gas-Fired Plant Canceled). There is more to the story. Even after the project sponsor withdrew the plan, the Board of Supervisors still voted against it. Why? It blocks the sponsor from submitting a substantially similar proposal for the next 12 months. The supervisors used a bought-and-paid-for sham research study by a Harvard researcher as the basis for rejecting the project. Read More “Fake Harvard Research Helped Defeat Virginia Power Plant Project”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Virginia

Plan for Va. Data Center with 3,500 MW Gas-Fired Plant Canceled
April 16, 2025April 16, 2025

The on again, off again, on again, off again plan to build a massive data center in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, with a 3,500-megawatt gas-fired power plant is now off again, permanently. Last October, Balico applied to rezone more than 2,200 acres for a proposed campus in Pittsylvania County, Va., that would include its own massive on-site gas-fired power plant complex using Marcellus/Utica molecules from the Mountain Valley Pipeline (see Massive Data Center with 3,500 MW Gas-Fired Plant Proposed for Va.). The project hit significant pushback from local residents and politicians, so Balico revised the plan. The revised plan was to build a tiny 300 MW gas-fired plant, at least initially (see Plan for Massive 3,500-MW Va. Gas-Fired Plant Slashed 91% to 300-MW). In January of this year, the County Planning Commission shot down the trimmed-down plan (see Pittsylvania (VA) County Planning Bd. Votes to Deny Data Center Plan). Balico knows when it’s not wanted. Read More “Plan for Va. Data Center with 3,500 MW Gas-Fired Plant Canceled”
Hydrogen | Industrywide Issues | Statewide VA | Virginia

Va. Tech Gets $1.3M Grant to Turn NatGas into “Turquoise” Hydrogen
April 8, 2025April 8, 2025

Oh, the many different “colors” of hydrogen (and natural gas). The wacko left dreams up all sorts of labels for the things they do and don’t like, hoping to influence the weak of mind to buy into their psychoses. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), a U.S. federal–state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life, has just awarded a $1.3 million grant to Virginia Tech to figure out how to produce “turquoise” hydrogen from Virginia natural gas. What the heck is turquoise hydrogen? Read More “Va. Tech Gets $1.3M Grant to Turn NatGas into “Turquoise” Hydrogen”
Diversified Energy | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Virginia | Wise County

EQT, Diversified Lose Court Case re Value of Assets in Va. County
April 1, 2025April 1, 2025

MDN exclusively brought you the news, in June 2018, that Diversified Gas & Oil (now renamed to Diversified Energy) had purchased EQT’s Huron Shale assets in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia for $575 million (see Diversified Gas & Oil Adds to Conventional Assets in KY, VA, WV). The deal included nearly 12,000 wells with 200 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of natural gas production. It also included 2.5 million acres of leases and some 6,400 miles of gathering pipelines. Of the assets involved in the sale, 578 gas wells, 187.7 miles of pipes, and 14 compressors were located in Wise County, Virginia. The Wise County assets and how they were/are valued for tax purposes are the focus of this post. Read More “EQT, Diversified Lose Court Case re Value of Assets in Va. County”
Crime | Energy Services | Equitrans/EQT Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines | Statewide VA | Virginia

MVP Case Against Radicalized Protesters Advances in Federal Court
March 27, 2025March 27, 2025

On Monday, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia (Roanoke Division) ruled in two of five cases before it in which Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), which is now majority-owned by EQT Corporation, sued radical protesters who blocked the construction of the pipeline in Roanoke County, Virginia. The court dismissed one count in the two cases (count #4) against the protesters, which the media focused on. The media doesn’t want to talk about the fact that there are five other counts, far more serious than the dismissed count, that the court is allowing to advance. These protesters are in a world of legal hurt over their illegal blocking of MVP construction. Read More “MVP Case Against Radicalized Protesters Advances in Federal Court”
Adams County | Electrical Generation | Indiana County | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Snyder County | Virginia | Wood County (OH)

LS Power Plans to Upgrade 2 Peaker Gas Plants in PA, OH to Baseload
March 17, 2025March 17, 2025

We feel like it’s “peaker” day here at MDN. We have three stories that revolve around peaker gas-fired power plants. What is a peaker? It’s a gas-fired power plant that pops on and gets used only during the heaviest electric usage times, like really hot days in the summer and really cold days during the winter. “Baseload,” on the other hand, are gas plants that run constantly. LS Power, a huge power generation company that owns and operates some 50,000 megawatts (MW) of power generation, including utility-scale solar, wind, hydro, battery energy storage, and natural gas-fired facilities, announced on Friday a plan to add more than 700 MW of new electric generating capacity across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia. The plan includes promoting (upgrading) two peakers, one in PA and one in OH, to become full-time baseload plants. More yummy Marcellus and Utica gas will be required to feed these plants. Read More “LS Power Plans to Upgrade 2 Peaker Gas Plants in PA, OH to Baseload”
Chesterfield County | Dominion Energy | Electrical Generation | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Virginia

Chesterfield Gas-Fired Peakers to Save Customers $1B Over 30 Yrs
March 17, 2025March 17, 2025

Chesterfield County, VA

An article appearing in the Virginia Center Square online publication does a masterful job of what we call “burying the lead” in the newspaper business. The headline of the article is “Dominion’s Chesterfield gas plant could cost ratepayers $4.5B.” Dominion Energy plans to build small “peaker” electric generating plants in Chesterfield County, VA, near Richmond (see Dominion Plans to Build 1,000-MW Gas Peaker Plant Near Richmond, VA). The Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center (CERC) calls for building four 250-megawatt gas-fired power plants (1,000 MW total) that can jump into action during the coldest and hottest days of the year to help supply enough electricity for 250,000 homes—to keep the lights on because solar and wind are not up to the task. Read More “Chesterfield Gas-Fired Peakers to Save Customers $1B Over 30 Yrs”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Statewide VA | Taxation | Virginia

Judge Rules Virginia Can Stay Out of RGGI Carbon Tax…For Now
March 11, 2025March 11, 2025

click for larger version

Last November, a Floyd County Circuit Court judge ruled Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s effort to remove his state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax scheme was not legal—therefore the state would, for now, remain in the carbon tax club (see Circuit Court Judge Rules Virginia Can’t Leave RGGI Carbon Tax). Youngkin promised to appeal the decision, which he did. Last week, the same court temporarily suspended its November decision that forced Virginia back into RGGI while the appeal continues. So for now, Virginia is not collecting the RGGI fee from power producers. Read More “Judge Rules Virginia Can Stay Out of RGGI Carbon Tax…For Now”
Diversified Energy | Electrical Generation | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Kentucky | Virginia | West Virginia

Diversified JV Targets NatGas for Data Center Power in WV, VA, KY
March 10, 2025March 10, 2025

This morning, Diversified Energy, FuelCell Energy, and TESIAC announced a strategic partnership “intended to address the urgent energy needs of data centers” by supplying as much as 360 megawatts (MW) of electricity to three distinct locations in Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The partnership has agreed to create an Acquisition and Development Company (ADC), essentially a joint venture, focused on delivering reliable, cost-efficient, so-called net-zero power from natural gas and captured coal mine methane (CMM) to meet the soaring demand of data centers for reliable power. The way they will provide the power is quite interesting. Read More “Diversified JV Targets NatGas for Data Center Power in WV, VA, KY”
Chesterfield County | Dominion Energy | Electrical Generation | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Virginia

Dominion Asks Va. SCC to Approve Chesterfield Gas-Fired Peaker Plan
March 6, 2025March 6, 2025

Rendering of Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center (click for larger version)

Dominion Energy plans to build small “peaker” electric generating plants in Chesterfield County, VA, near Richmond (see Dominion Plans to Build 1,000-MW Gas Peaker Plant Near Richmond, VA). The Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center (CERC) calls for building four 250-megawatt gas-fired power plants (1,000 MW total) that can jump into action during the coldest and hottest days of the year to help supply enough electricity for 250,000 homes—to keep the lights on because solar and wind are not up to the task. Even though these clean gas-fired plants will replace dirty coal-fired plants, anti-fossil fuelers, flying under the banner of Friends of Chesterfield, oppose the project (see Anti-Fossil Fuelers File Appeal Against Chesterfield Power Plant). We don’t see the Friends volunteering to unhook themselves from the grid to prevent blackouts. The time for frittering and placating nutters who will never compromise or meet in the middle is over. Dominion filed a request with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) for permission to move forward and build the project. Read More “Dominion Asks Va. SCC to Approve Chesterfield Gas-Fired Peaker Plan”
CNG/LNG | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide VA | Virginia

Virginia SCC Approves Dominion LNG Storage Facility in Greensville
March 4, 2025March 4, 2025

In November 2023, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) agreed with a petition from Dominion Energy subsidiary Virginia Electric and Power Company that requested a planned LNG production, storage, and regasification facility in Greensville County, VA, should be exempt from FERC jurisdiction under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act (see Dominion LNG Storage for Va. Power Plant Exempt from FERC Regs). The FERC decision cleared the way for the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) to make a final decision on whether or not the project should get built. The SCC recently approved the project. Read More “Virginia SCC Approves Dominion LNG Storage Facility in Greensville”
Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Statewide VA | Virginia

Va. Democrat Lawmaker Wants to Use Tax $$ for NatGas Pipe Project
February 19, 2025February 19, 2025

This is one of those “man bites dog” stories. It wouldn’t be news if a Virginia House of Delegates member who is Republican proposed allocating $15 million of taxpayer money to provide “road extension, grading, and natural gas pipeline extension” for a natural gas power plant and potential data center in Pulaski County, in rural Southwest Virginia. But it definitely IS news when a Democrat proposes it! Read More “Va. Democrat Lawmaker Wants to Use Tax $$ for NatGas Pipe Project”