Electrical Generation | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | NextEra Energy | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA
NextEra Energy Update re $17B Gas-Powered Site in SWPA
In March, the Trump administration announced “South Mon,” a $17 billion natural gas-fueled facility in southwestern Pennsylvania intended to expand domestic energy production (see Trump Admin Announces $17 Billion Gas-Fired Power Plant for SWPA). Part of a $550 billion trade deal with Japan, the hub will be operated by NextEra Energy Resources and generate 4.3 gigawatts (GW) of power. NextEra’s top brass provided an update (of sorts) on the project during last week’s quarterly earnings call. Still no word on where (specifically) the company plans to build the facility. Read More “NextEra Energy Update re $17B Gas-Powered Site in SWPA”
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has extended three temporary air permits for the Shell ethane cracker plant in Monaca, PA, which would have expired on April 28, 2026. The DEP did the same thing in May 2024 (see 
The highly functional and responsible Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), unlike its dysfunctional and irresponsible counterpart, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), continues to support the shale energy industry by approving water withdrawals and consumptive use requests for responsible, safe shale drilling. The SRBC published a notice in the April 25th Pennsylvania Bulletin that the Executive Director of the SRBC approved and/or renewed 46 general water use permits in March for individual shale gas well drilling pads in Bradford, Clinton, Elk, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, and Wyoming counties. 
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is seeking public comment on an Individual Stormwater Permit for a 5.8-mile natural gas pipeline in Indiana County. Serving the proposed Homer City Generation LP 4.5 GW power plant and data center, the 30-inch pipeline will traverse Black Lick, Burrell, and Center Townships, involving several stream and wetland crossings. The DEP will host a public hearing on May 12 from 5 to 7 PM at the Indiana Theater regarding Homer City Generation’s proposed 5.8-mile natural gas pipeline in Center Township. In response to this new project, local anti-fossil fuel groups are actively mobilizing. So-called “Concerned Residents of Western PA” (CROW) is holding a preparation meeting this afternoon to help “citizens” draft their public comments and build speaking confidence. 
You’ve seen the headlines and maybe read the news that “Qatar supplies 20 percent of the world’s LNG.” Iran bombed Qatar’s LNG export facility in early March and took it offline. The world press had a stroke, predicting a natural gas Armageddon without 20% of LNG coming from Qatar. But what’s this? U.S. LNG exporters “have so far offset the drop in shipments from Qatar following Iranian attacks on its facilities” and the closure of Hormuz. We’ve been able to make up for the lost exports from Qatar. 
OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Q1 Dallas Fed energy survey gets update; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas falls as market frets over storage; Climate shakedown lawsuits threaten U.S. energy dominance; Leftists fake tears about high energy prices, but ignore foreign-funded lawfare; INTERNATIONAL: Oil falls on renewed Iran talk hopes; Canada approves Enbridge’s $3 billion Westcoast gas-pipeline expansion; Hormuz crisis is ‘biggest energy disruption ever,’ Yergin says; The billion-barrel Hormuz oil shock is about to crash demand; Alternative routes for Middle East oil and gas to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. 
The Marcellus/Utica region received 22 new drilling permits last week, Apr. 13 – 19, down 15 from the 37 issued two weeks ago. Pennsylvania issued 11 of last week’s permits. Ohio issued no new permits. And West Virginia issued the other 11 new permits last week. The drillers who received new permits last week included: Antero Resources, Arsenal Resources, CNX Resources, EQT, Expand Energy, JKLM Energy, Range Resources, Repsol Oil & Gas, and Seneca Resources. 
Last November, the Buckeye Environmental Network, backed by lawyers from the controversial Earthjustice, sued the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) over permitting two new shale wastewater injection wells in the Marietta area, claiming the standard used to evaluate the wells was old and out-of-date (see 
CNX Resources Corporation issued a press release yesterday to highlight its 2025 sustainability achievements, marking the first full year (2025) of “dynamic ESG reporting,” moving from annual reports to quarterly scorecards and continuous website updates. This approach, rooted in the company’s “Radical Transparency” philosophy and “Appalachia First” strategy, provides timely, transparent disclosures on environmental stewardship, including emissions data, expanded public notice of violations, and community investments. 
The Golden Pass LNG terminal is a liquefied natural gas terminal and regasification facility in Sabine Pass (Port Arthur), Texas. It is among the largest LNG facilities in the world. It can accommodate up to 15.6 million metric tons (MT) of LNG per year, the equivalent of approximately 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (Bcf/d). Earlier this week, MDN told you that the facility’s very first official cargo carrier had arrived to “fill ‘er up” (see 
EQT Corporation delivered its latest quarterly update yesterday for the first quarter of 2026. EQT sees the materialization of “in-basin demand growth” improving Appalachian market conditions through the end of the decade. The company says it is positioned as a preferred partner for large-scale power, midstream, and data center projects in the region. EQT plans to continue drilling and completing a significant number of wells throughout 2026, indicating ongoing development in the Marcellus and Utica regions. However, the company is curtailing (restricting) 10-15 Bcf (billion cubic feet) of production during the second quarter due to current low prices. 
Range Resources issued its first quarter 2026 update yesterday. Range’s production averaged 2.21 Bcfe/d in 1Q, approximately 32% liquids and 68% natural gas. Range used one rig and one completion crew to drill ~143,000 lateral feet across 9 wells, while turning to sales ~267,000 feet across 17 wells. 1Q26 drilling and completion expenditures were $130 million. In addition, Range spent approximately $5 million in acreage and $4 million in infrastructure, pneumatic upgrades, and other investments. The company maintains it will push production to 2.5 Bcfe/d by the end of this year, even though it’s only using a single rig and frac crew. 
How many times over the years have we reported on (and cheerleaded for) gas-fired power plants to get built in West Virginia? MANY times. Dozens, maybe hundreds of posts about this topic. Yet, in all the time we’ve been writing MDN (since January 2009), not a single, solitary *new* gas-fired power plant has been built in the Mountain State (although there are four existing, older gas-fired plants). Not one new plant! Until now. Kindle Energy yesterday announced it has broken ground at Wolf Summit Energy, a previously announced fully contracted, 600-megawatt greenfield combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power generation facility in Harrison County, WV.