Questerre Still Hopeful Quebec Politicians Will Allow Utica Drilling
Hope springs eternal at Questerre Energy, a Canadian driller that owns more than 1 million acres of leases and an estimated 6 Tcf of Utica Shale reserves in the province of Québec, Canada. What’s that? You didn’t realize the Utica Shale stretches that far north? It does! However, Québec, with a huge supply of Utica Shale gas sitting beneath it, passed a new law in 2022 outlawing all oil and natural gas production throughout the province, called Bill 21 (see Quebec Pulls Trigger & Commits Energy Suicide – Bans All O&G Prod.). It was a breathtaking grab of totalitarian power. Questerre has tried both carrot (encouraging the province to rethink its ban) and stick (suing Québec). So far, neither has worked. However, Québec recently issued its Integrated Energy Resource Management Plan (PGIRE) that says nice things (sort of) about natural gas. Read More “Questerre Still Hopeful Quebec Politicians Will Allow Utica Drilling”
If we had a nickel for every time we’ve read or heard the Democrats claim the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a tax on carbon dioxide emissions for coal- and gas-fired power plants, doesn’t raise electricity rates, we’d be millionaires! Not that it was ever in question that RGGI does raise rates; we now have a smoking gun. Connecticut’s carbon allowance auction prices under RGGI have risen from $3.07 per allowance in 2008 to $35 per allowance in June 2026, a jump of over 900%. Connecticut residents pay the third-highest (or second-highest, depending on the source) electricity rates in the entire country behind only Hawaii and California. Massachusetts, another RGGI member, is right behind Connecticut at fourth-highest. 
Last week, New York Governor Kathy Hochul had the ignominious distinction of signing an Executive Order establishing the nation’s first statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers, temporarily pausing state environmental permit issuance for up to 1 year (see 
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: David McCormick set to lead Energy and Natural Resources Committee; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas futures settle little changed; Halliburton announces second quarter 2026 results; Solar for the soul or for the senses; Energy security and climate realism usher in coal’s rise; Shale trades go-go days of growth for output creep; EPA proposes changes to Biden-era environmental rules for heavy-duty trucks; INTERNATIONAL: Oil climbs as shipping threats grow; Saudi led coalition vows to protect ships from Houthis; Fossil fuels still generate 57% of the world’s electricity; Why the UAE is taking a bigger piece of America’s LNG crown jewel; India became world’s top long-term LNG buyer in 2025. 
Last November, New Jersey (and New York) issued a federal Clean Water Act permit to build the Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline project (see 
Amentum, a Chantilly, Virginia-based engineering and technology firm, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to enter negotiations for a phased lease to develop one of the nation’s largest integrated artificial intelligence (AI) and energy infrastructure projects at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. Once finalized, the public-private project would establish a 1-gigawatt AI data center supported by approximately 2 gigawatts of on-site energy generation, initially powered by natural gas, with an eventual transition to advanced nuclear energy. The project aims to expand domestic AI computing capacity and strengthen U.S. energy resilience and national security. 
Despite rising Northeast gas demand from retiring coal plants and new data centers, plus added Appalachian pipeline capacity, production growth isn’t guaranteed—operators prioritize capital discipline, debt reduction, and shareholder returns over volume. Appalachia has held flat at roughly 33-36 Bcf/d since 2020. Can anything tempt Marcellus/Utica drillers to drill and produce more than they are now? According to RBN Energy, sustained Henry Hub prices above $4/MMBtu (versus the current $3.50-$3.60 long-dated curve) and better takeaway infrastructure could be enough of a temptation. 
Last week was (once again) noteworthy for the Baker Hughes rig count. Although the Marcellus/Utica count hasn’t budged for 10 weeks in a row, holding at a combined 36, the national count increased by 7 rigs, reaching its highest level since April 2025. The national count has risen over the last five weeks by a robust 25 rigs. The new national count was 588. Baker Hughes said oil rigs rose by seven to 452 last week, the highest since May 2025, while gas rigs held at 126 and other miscellaneous rigs held at 10. The M-U’s chief competitor, the Haynesville, maintained its count of 55 active rigs, operating 19 more than the M-U’s 36. 
Thanks to the work of David Hess at the PA Environment Digest Blog, which tracks Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) notices published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, we know of two water pipeline projects (for EQT and Expand Energy) approved by the DEP related to drilling new shale wells in two different northeastern PA counties: Lycoming and Bradford. Water is used for fracking. New water pipelines mean new fracking is on the way in those locations. 
A new wrinkle to report in the case of a South Carolina pipeline, the Elba Express Pipeline, and its quest to build an extension to a gas-fired power plant in Colleton County. In June, we told you that Kinder Morgan, the builder, had been forced to sue some 55 (of the 185) landowners along the proposed route to allow simple access to their property for a survey (see 
Diversified Energy and real estate firm Maverick Holdings have secured an option on 100 acres at Letcher County’s Gateway Industrial Park near Jenkins, aiming to use an existing natural gas compressor station to fuel an off-grid, 100-megawatt power plant that could attract data centers or manufacturers. The Appalachian Industrial Development Authority signed an 18-month joint development agreement in March, though some board members were asked to sign NDAs. Local officials remain cautiously optimistic, citing potential tax revenue and infrastructure funding, but stress the project is still in early, unproven stages.