Diversified Energy | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Taxation | Virginia | Wise County
EQT & Diversified Win Va. Supreme Court Case Lowering Tax on Assets
The Virginia Supreme Court issued a ruling last Thursday with far-reaching consequences not only for the plaintiffs who won the case (EQT and Diversified Energy) but also for other conventional and, if it ever develops, shale drillers in the state. EQT and Diversified sued Wise County, VA, alleging that Wise County’s method of valuing their assets in the county overvalued them, resulting in a much higher tax bill. The Supremes agreed and sent the case back to a lower court to rework the valuations. Read More “EQT & Diversified Win Va. Supreme Court Case Lowering Tax on Assets”
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 May 23rd Pennsylvania Bulletin that the SRBC approved and/or renewed 33 general water use permits in April for individual shale gas well drilling pads in Bradford, Cameron, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, and Wyoming counties. 
East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) has officially broken ground on Liberty Station, a $500 million natural gas-fired power plant located in Casey County, Kentucky. Expected to be operational in late 2028, this project represents the cooperative’s first new greenfield power plant since the 1980s. The facility will use twelve large generators to produce electricity for approximately 95,000 homes (214 megawatts), significantly improving grid reliability for over 1 million customers across 89 counties. Running primarily on natural gas with ultra-low-sulfur diesel backup, the station will create over 20 high-paying, full-time jobs and deliver clean and reliable energy to rural residents. 
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: PA Rep. Greg Vitali loses primary vote – buh bye!; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: China-backed litigators crippling Louisiana energy; Most planned natgas pipeline capacity additions in 2026/2027 originate in Texas; NATIONAL: US natural gas drops in thin trading as options contracts expire; DOI bags over $4B from Texas, New Mexico lease sale; AI revolution is leaving green energy states behind; U.S. LNG feedgas lingers at lower levels; INTERNATIONAL: Brent jumps on renewed Iran clash; BP fires board chairman over conduct, governance; Eni, BlackRock CCUS JV raises $582 million; 754 buses convert from diesel to natural gas; Canada and Germany make liquefied natural gas deal. 
Last week, the combined Marcellus/Utica Baker Hughes rig count maintained its cumulative count of 36 active rigs after dropping 1 rig two weeks ago in the PA Marcellus (see 
Well, you knew this was going to happen. Last week, a group of disgusting Big Green groups and the New York State Attorney General both filed separate lawsuits in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2nd Circuit), challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) decision to resurrect the Constitution Pipeline under the existing (but dormant) docket. NY AG Tish James, representing the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), argues that a brand new review should be done by the state to evaluate the project for compliance with the federal Clean Water Act. You may recall that NY previously lost its right to evaluate the Constitution project by stretching out its review for years, causing FERC to overrule NY (see 
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued an emergency order on May 21 directing PJM Interconnection and Constellation Energy to keep Units 3 and 4 at Pennsylvania’s Eddystone Generating Station (near Philadelphia, in Delaware County) operational through the summer. Effective from May 25, 2026, to August 22, 2026, the mandate aims to ensure grid reliability. This directive follows four previous 90-day orders that have kept the aging, dual-fuel units online to support energy security. The DOE asserts that despite planned retirements, these 380-MW units remain essential for stabilizing the regional power supply. Big Green wants to close them down. 
Last Thursday (May 21), the commissioners of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) unanimously proposed significant changes to the agency’s natural gas blanket certificate program, the most substantial overhaul since 2006. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) aims to roughly double the cost thresholds for pipeline companies to build and modify infrastructure without extensive case-by-case approval. It also expands eligible project categories and, for the first time, extends streamlined authorization to certain LNG facility activities. 
MDN will not publish on Friday, May 22, nor on Monday, May 25, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. A shout out to all of our currently serving and former veterans, and remembrance for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. They are not forgotten.
NOTE: MDN will not publish on Friday, May 22, and Monday, May 25, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. Therefore, we are publishing the weekly permits report a day early.
Yesterday, MDN told you that Enbridge has launched an open season for customers to sign up for capacity along an expanded Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline in New England (see 
U.S. natural gas flows to LNG export facilities were set to hit a 16-week low of 15.1 Bcf/d on Tuesday, May 19, despite the anticipated return of QatarEnergy/ExxonMobil’s Golden Pass plant in Texas, according to LSEG data. Average flows dropped from a record 18.8 Bcf/d in April to 16.9 Bcf/d in May due to spring maintenance at multiple facilities, including Golden Pass and Freeport LNG.