Powelson Under Fire for Calling Enviro Jihadists, “Jihadists”
Two days ago MDN reported on comments delivered by Rob Powelson, currently a member of Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) and via that role, currently the president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). Powelson gave a talk at the Upstream PA conference in State College earlier this week–in which he said, “The jihad has begun…At the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission groups actually show up at commissioners’ homes to make sure we don’t get this gas to market. How irresponsible is that?” (see Potential FERC Com. Powleson Calls Anti-Fossil Fuelers “Jihadists”). We applauded Powelson for speaking the truth about the nature of environmental radicalism that has morphed into a religious war against fossil fuels. Groups like Food & Water Watch, THE Delaware Riverkeeper, the Clean Air Council and others are similar to radical Islamists who perpetuate jihad and terrorism. For radical Islam, the object is to forcibly convert non-Muslims to their religion–Islam. Or kill them if they won’t convert. For radical environmentalists, the object is to forcibly convert American residents into abandoning the use of fossil fuels–the green “religion.” Or politically “kill” them if they don’t follow the green philosophy. Powelson’s comments were spot-on. When bullies show up at FERC Commissioners’ homes and menace them, that’s WAY over the line. Now those same radical environmentalists are in a religious fit over Powelson’s remarks, demanding that he resign from the PA PUC for his “racist” remarks. Earth to eco-nuts: Powelson soon will resign from the PUC, when Trump nominates him as a FERC Commissioner! In the meantime, Powelson has had to “walk back” his remarks, apologizing (never apologize!!!) for using the term “jihad.” Why? That’s EXACTLY what these people are!…
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After 10 loooooong years of waiting, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finally auctioned its first round of property leases for shale drilling in Wayne National Forest (WNF)–located in Ohio (see 
Last September MDN reported on a midstream deal with major implications for the Marcellus/Utica: Canadian pipeline operator Enbridge Inc. announced an all-stock deal to buy out pipeline operator Spectra Energy, based in Houston, for $28 billion (see 
As we reported yesterday, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed a year ago by THE Delaware Riverkeeper against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (see 
Ryan Regec owns 78 acres in Schuylkill County, PA (eastern part of the state). He plans to subdivide the property into smaller properties and sell the building lots–but the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline is coming through a portion of the property, and Mr. Regec says that means he can’t subdivide and sell it the way he planned. Regec has, in the past, allowed surveyors from Atlantic Sunrise on his property–but recently has refused. Atlantic Sunrise (i.e. Williams) took him to court to force access to complete their surveys, and Williams just won. A judge for the U.S. Middle District Court in PA issued an order allowing Atlantic Sunrise access. A spokesman for the pipeline says the pipeline will only cut through a small portion of Mr. Regec’s 78 acres. Regec claims his subdivision plans will be destroyed. Who’s right?…
MDN friend Brad Gill, executive director of the Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York (IOGANY), recently wrote and sent a letter to President Trump. It’s a great letter. He highlights the plight of NY’s diminishing oil and gas industry and identifies the reason for it–Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his ban on fracking. Brad asks President Trump to “help restore” the o&g industry in NY. The implication is that Trump can restore it by restoring our Constitution right to frack. Will Team Trump listen and help? Below is a copy of Brad’s letter, and our concluding thoughts…
Last year an elaborate midstream drama unfolded before our very eyes. Energy Transfer Equity (ETE) pushed and prodded and poked and cajoled and insisted, and finally with the help of an inside corporate raider, forced Williams to agree to a buyout/merger (see 
The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading. In today’s lineup: 7 permits issued last week in OH Utica; PA gov’s mixed signals on shale gas; US shale drillers leaving thousands of oil wells unfinished; State Dept. to approve Keystone XL pipeline; Chesapeake Energy’s liquidity matters; Trump plans to reverse Obama climate change policy; China’s LNG imports on the rise; and more!
[NOTE: In the original version of this post, MDN incorrectly referred to the name as Center Point Terminal. It is, in fact, Center Port Terminal. Sorry!] One of MDN’s sharp subscribers emailed us with an exciting tip. On March 27 a public meeting will be held in Woodsfield, Ohio (Monroe County) about building a 485 megawatt gas-fired power plant–to be built on twenty acres of the 200 acre former Ormet site, now known as Center Port Terminal. That much we have been able to confirm. Our tipster also speculated this new power plant may be used to provide electricity to an ethane cracker. We have not, so far, been able to verify the cracker rumor. Here is what we do, and don’t, know about this new power plant project coming in Monroe County…
It took a whole year, but a federal court has just thrown out a frivolous lawsuit filed by Maya van Rossum, THE Delaware Riverkeeper, which attempted to defund the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Last year MDN reported on the lawsuit filed by Maya and company–a lawsuit which aimed to shut down the entire agency by defunding it (see 
MDN has previously highlighted the importance of last year’s Ohio Supreme Court decision with regard to the Ohio Dormant Mineral Act (DMA). In September 2016 the OH Supreme Court ruled in three DMA cases, saying all of the other cases come under those three (see 
New Jersey’s reliably lefty Democrat U.S. Senators, Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, played to their fringe, unhinged base of eco-nut supporters by sending a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission claiming the PennEast Pipeline project, due to run through a small portion of NJ, “may” cause problems with arsenic–as in releasing the toxic substance into drinking water supplies from digging trenches and erosion. It is a flat out, bogus, BS claim–and they know it. But they were put up to the letter-writing task by some of their Big Green donors, including ReThink Energy NJ and New Jersey Conservation Foundation. It’s nothing new that campaign contributions (i.e. bribes) buy you access. PennEast has responded that the issue has already been addressed in their application with FERC–there is a plan to monitor and protect against any potential disturbance of the ground that would cause arsenic levels to increase. That’s what responsible adults do. They respond in an adult-like, responsible manner. Unlike the other side…
In September 2012 EV Energy Partners/EnerVest put 539,000 Ohio Utica Shale acres on the auction block. It didn’t sell. In 2013 they announced they would begin selling sections piecemeal, a strategy that has netted a few sales since then (see