PA PUC Votes 3-2 to Levy New Taxes & Regs on AI Data Centers
Last week, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved a Tentative Order by a 3-2 vote, proposing a statewide model tariff (tax) to manage the growing impact of large-load customers, such as AI data centers, on the electric grid. The goal is to encourage investment and job growth while protecting existing ratepayers from cost-shifts and ensuring reliability. The PUC failed. The proposed order was passed on a partisan basis, with the three Democrat commissioners voting to make it harder and more expensive for data centers to locate in the Keystone State, potentially jeopardizing $92 billion of investments promised to the state related to data centers (see Pittsburgh Energy Event Truly Mind-Blowing, $92B+ Investments for PA). Read More “PA PUC Votes 3-2 to Levy New Taxes & Regs on AI Data Centers”
We may finally, after seven long years of torture, have a resolution to the issue of forcing Pennsylvania to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax scheme. The rumors are swirling around Harrisburg that the Democrats (including Governor Josh Shapiro) and Republicans in the state Senate are close to a budget deal. The budget was supposed to be adopted by July 1st. It’s now over four months late, and school districts and government agencies dependent on state funding are hurting. The rumor is that the budget deal includes a provision to dump PA’s participation in RGGI. Lefty environmentalists are having a CO2-emitting cow at the news. 
In April, we told you that Energy Transfer’s (ET) Lake Charles LNG project had landed a new partner to help pay for the project, MidOcean Energy, which will cover 30% of the cost of building the plant (see 
Last week, the Baker Hughes U.S. national rig count gained rigs again after dropping rigs in the prior week. The national count added two rigs, going from 546 to 548. The BH rig count has added rigs in three of the last four weeks. Rigs in the Marcellus/Utica remained the same last week at a combined 37, the same number for six weeks in a row. Pennsylvania remained unchanged at 17 active rigs (six weeks in a row). Ohio was the same at 13 rigs (seven weeks in a row). And West Virginia maintained its 7 rigs, which it has operated since May 30 (24 weeks in a row). There were 23 rigs targeting the Marcellus and 14 targeting the Utica. 
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Core Natural explores rare earth mineral mining potential at PA coal sites; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Rockefeller network claims credit for California’s plastic lawfare; NATIONAL: U.S. gas futures extend rally to three weeks; Three U.S. regions each produce more natural gas than most countries; Why U.S. natural gas prices could be headed higher in 2026; US set to produce record amounts of natural gas to meet surging export demand; Propane oversupply meets potential natural gas shortfall; INTERNATIONAL: Oil rises but logs second weekly loss; Oil market appears ‘torn’; Alarmists play long game at COP30; Europe’s LNG demand surge flips global gas market. 
We continue to be delighted with the number of new permits issued to drill shale wells in the Marcellus/Utica. Three weeks ago, that number soared to 37. Two weeks ago, it increased to 39. And last week the number remained high, down just two, back to 37 once again. Wow! We haven’t seen a sustained trend of high permit numbers like this in many moons. Pennsylvania issued 13 new permits last week, down from 23 the prior week. Ohio issued 8 new permits, down from 11 the prior week. It was West Virginia that was the breakout star, issuing 16 new permits, up from issuing 5 the preceding week. 
Ascent Resources, founded as American Energy Partners by Aubrey McClendon, a gas industry legend, is a privately held company that focuses 100% on the Ohio Utica Shale. Ascent, headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, is Ohio’s largest natural gas producer and one of the largest natural gas producers in the U.S. The company issued its third quarter 2025 update yesterday. Net production for the quarter averaged 2,247 MMcfe/d (2.25 Bcfe/d), consisting of 1,900 MMcf/d of natural gas, 16,130 bbls/d of oil, and 41,652 bbls/d of natural gas liquids (NGLs), putting liquids at 15% of the overall production mix for the quarter. 
The mystery may have been solved by MDN… In September 2022, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) voted to extend a permit to build a special LNG export dock along the shoreline of the Delaware River in New Jersey by an extra three years (see 
Bluegrass Power Generation has proposed an 800-megawatt, $2.5 to $3 billion natural gas-fired electric generation facility in Fayette County, Ohio, pending approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board. The plant is designed to operate “behind-the-meter,” exclusively supplying power to dedicated nearby third-party facilities, like the L-H Battery Company (Honda/LG Energy Solution), for at least 30 years, disconnected from the main power grid. The project is expected to create 500 construction jobs and 30 permanent operational positions, generating significant tax revenue and strengthening Ohio’s high-tech infrastructure to support future industrial growth. Construction is currently slated to begin in February 2026. 
Mon Power and Potomac Edison are local utilities and subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp. The two companies recently submitted an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to the West Virginia Public Service Commission, outlining how they will continue to deliver reliable, cost-effective power to West Virginia homes and businesses over the next decade (see 
We are SO tired of activist judges appointed by Obama/Biden ruling against the will of the majority (and against the Constitution). It just happened again earlier this week. Before leaving office, the Biden Department of Energy (DOE) implemented new regulations that essentially ban gas-fired furnaces and water heaters (see 
Gulfport Energy is the third-largest driller in the Ohio Utica Shale (by the number of wells drilled). Gulfport released its third quarter update yesterday. The company is going full steam ahead in its natgas drilling in the Ohio Marcellus. Gulfport is aggressively expanding its future drilling potential. The company nearly tripled its Marcellus inventory, adding roughly 125 gross locations. Concurrently, Gulfport successfully finished two Utica U-development test wells, a move that proves drilling feasibility and unlocks an additional 20 gross Utica dry gas locations. 
In January 2023, Ohio House Bill (HB) 507 became law with the signature of Gov. Mike DeWine (see 
Following some intense conversations between President Trump and New York Governor Kathy Hochul earlier this year, she caved (according to the White House) and agreed to allow two long-stalled pipeline projects—the Constitution and NESE—to get built in NY in return for Trump allowing her to continue to sink $5 billion into an offshore wind project (see