PA Gov. Shapiro’s Plan Stands in the Way of Energy Momentum
The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Foundation continues to sound the alarm that Governor Josh Shapiro’s energy proposals would be a disaster for the state if implemented. The Commonwealth Foundation is a think tank based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It develops and advances fiscally conservative and libertarian public policies. The organization’s stated mission is to “transform free-market ideas into public policies so all Pennsylvanians can flourish.” In a recent column appearing on the RealClearPennsylvania website, Commonwealth Foundation CEO Andrew J. Lewis makes the case that Shapiro’s policies would “get in the way” of PA’s energy momentum. Read More “PA Gov. Shapiro’s Plan Stands in the Way of Energy Momentum”
In June, MDN told you that Venture Global (VG) had begun construction on the Calcasieu Pass 2 (CP2) LNG export facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana (see 
President Donald Trump has been visiting Europe. Lucky him. While there, he finalized a trade agreement with the European Union (EU) that is “the biggest [trade] deal ever,” according to Trump. While there are many components to the deal, the key, the big piece we are interested in, is energy. The EU has agreed to buy $750 billion worth of our energy exports (mostly LNG) over the next 3 1/2 years of Trump’s presidency, and invest another $600 billion in the U.S. during the same period. Massive! The deal is so big, so massive, and such a success that mainstream media is panning it as unrealistic and an impossible fantasy. They haven’t learned their lesson with Trump. Never underestimate him. 
According to a new report from Enverus and its research division, only 30% of solar and 57% of onshore wind projects are likely to survive the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) recently signed into law by President Trump (see 
OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Natural gas key to NC’s position as top business state in America; NATIONAL: Trump just triggered the largest data center buildout in history; Climate messaging – the alarmists are alarmed; Electricity generated from wind and solar cannot replace fossil fuels; No country for climate hawks; INTERNATIONAL: Oil surges as Trump pressures Russia on Ukraine; Starmer outlines oil & gas will be part of UK mix for ‘very long time’; “Fruit will be a once a year treat” says chief UN soothsayer. 
Last week, the Baker Hughes U.S. rig count continued its downward trend, losing two rigs to end at 542 active rigs nationwide. The count has been down 12 of the last 13 weeks, with the only slight increase happening two weeks ago. However, there was good news in our region. The Marcellus/Utica count increased by one to a combined 36 active rigs. The reason for the bump up was that Pennsylvania added a Marcellus rig last week. PA now runs 18 active rigs. OH remains at 11 rigs. And WV remains at 7 rigs. 
Last week, CNX Resources issued its second quarter 2025 update. The company reported a profit of $432.5 million for the quarter, compared with a loss of $18.3 million in 2Q24. The company generated $188 million in free cash flow, marking the 22nd consecutive quarter of FCF generation. Production was 167.6 Bcfe (billion cubic feet equivalent) in 2Q25 — which works out to 1.84 Bcfe/d — up from 134.0 Bcfe last year (a 25% increase). The reason for the dramatic increase was that CNX closed on the purchase of Apex Energy during the first quarter, and Apex’s production numbers were fully added to CNX’s numbers beginning in 2Q25. 
In May 2021, MDN told you that Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) had won Kentucky state approval to build a new 12-inch, 12-mile pipeline south of Louisville to supply gas to homes and businesses (including a Jim Beam distillery) in Bullitt County—homes and businesses that can’t connect to LG&E’s local natgas utility system because it is currently maxed out (see 
We’re sorry to have to say this, but New York State Senator Lea Webb is either a liar or a really dumb person. Prompted by some of her supporters (nine people, to be exact), Webb held a press conference in Binghamton, NY, last week to repeat the same tired old lies that building a pipeline (e.g., the Constitution Pipeline) will jeopardize lives, livelihoods, and water quality for residents of the Southern Tier. That’s a flat-out, 100% lie, and she should be ashamed. 
At the end of the last legislative session in December, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, an extremist liberal, signed into law a new climate bill forcing a short list of Big Oil companies to pay $75 billion in “recovery” assessments over the next 25 years for their alleged role in causing mythical global warming (see 
BlackRock, the world’s largest investment firm with some $9 trillion of assets under management, managed to get itself off the poopy list in Texas by ending its participation in a number of so-called ESG (environment, social, governance) groups and by groveling before Texas officials. The Texas Permanent School Fund (PSF) pulled $8.5 billion of its investments away from BlackRock in March 2024 after the state determined that BlackRock was engaged in a boycott of energy companies by pressuring companies to avoid the fossil fuel sector by using ESG litmus tests (see 
For the week of July 14 – 20, the number of permits issued to drill new wells in the Marcellus/Utica decreased from the previous week. There were 17 new permits issued across the three M-U states last week, four fewer than the 21 issued two weeks ago. The Keystone State (PA) issued just four new permits. All were single permits. Range Resources received its permit for a well in Allegheny County. EQT got a permit for a well in Greene County. Infinity Natural Resources’ (INR) permit was in Indiana County. And Expand Energy’s permit was in Wyoming County. 
Range Resources issued its second quarter 2025 update on Wednesday. Range’s production averaged 2.20 Bcfe/d, approximately 68% natural gas. Range drilled ~285,000 lateral feet across 20 wells, while turning to sales ~156,000 lateral feet across 12 wells. 2Q25 drilling and completion expenditures were $136 million. In addition to D&C spending, Range spent approximately $11 million on acreage and $7 million on infrastructure, pneumatic devices, and other investments. The company announced it is targeting power generation to grab some of the 4-5 Bcf/d of forecasted new demand coming from the powergen sector. 
In late 2022, MDN told you that Canadian-based Enerplus, with sizable non-operated assets in the northeast Pennsylvania Marcellus, had sold certain Canadian assets so it could concentrate most of its activity on drilling in the North Dakota Bakken (see