LG&E and KU Break Ground on New 640-MW Gas-Fired Power Plant

Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities Company (KU), subsidiaries of PPL Corporation, celebrated a significant milestone last week with the groundbreaking of Mill Creek 5, a state-of-the-art 640-megawatt (MW) natural gas combined-cycle generating unit in Jefferson County, Kentucky. This new facility is set to begin powering homes and businesses in 2027. While…

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Kentucky Utility Plans to Build 4 New Gas-Fired Power Plants

Yesterday, the East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC), a nonprofit power generation and transmission electric utility with headquarters in Winchester, Kentucky, announced plans to build two new natural gas-fired power plants and convert its two existing coal-fired power plants to burn natural gas. That’s four new gas-fired power plants coming to two different counties, one county…

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Court Rescinds Approval of WNY Gas-Fired Plant Sale to Bitcoin Co.

In September 2022, the New York Public Service Commission (PSC), which oversees and regulates public utilities in the state, approved the takeover of the Fortistar gas-fired power plant in North Tonawanda, NY, a town close to Niagara Falls, by Canadian crypto mining company Digihost. In December 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) offered its…

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Plan for Massive 3,500-MW Va. Gas-Fired Plant Slashed 91% to 300-MW

Two weeks ago, MDN brought you the news that Christmas had come early with the announcement of a plan to build the country’s largest natural gas-fired power plant at a proposed data center site in Pittsylvania County, Virginia (see Massive Data Center with 3,500 MW Gas-Fired Plant Proposed for Va.). Balico, LLC applied to rezone…

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ET Reports Massive New Gas Demand from Power Plants, Data Centers

Two days ago, Energy Transfer (ET), a major midstream (pipeline) company with assets in the Marcellus/Utica, issued its third quarter update. ET has assets in many areas of the country, so there was plenty of discussion about pipelines in other areas. However, the centerpiece of the update and the conference call with analysts was the…

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AES Indiana Gets OK to Convert Petersburg Coal Plants to NatGas

AES Indiana, formerly known as Indianapolis Power & Light Company, is a utility company providing electric service to the city of Indianapolis. It is a subsidiary and largest utility of AES Corporation. In August, AES Indiana said that it wants to invest $1.1 billion in Pike County, IN, to convert the company’s two remaining coal-fired…

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FERC Debates Data Centers, the Grid, and Power Generation

In a very short period of time, data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) appeared on the radar as very large potential customers for natural gas due to their need for power. Out of the blue, we began to read about drillers and pipeline companies talking with potential data center customers about flowing Marcellus/Utica molecules to…

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Steel Nation Launches Microgrid Division to Provide Reliable Energy

The great folks at Steel Nation, headquartered in Canonsburg, PA, have built over 2,200 compressor stations and other structures for the oil and gas industry in the Marcellus/Utica (and beyond) over the past 17 years. Yesterday, Steel Nation announced it has launched a new division to build electric microgrids for companies looking to create their…

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Report: Natural Gas is the #1 Choice for Electric Grid Stability

Since 2014, the share of U.S. electricity generation from natural gas in the summer has increased every year, increasing from 29% in 2014 to 45% in 2024 (see U.S. NatGas-Fired Electricity Hit New Record High in Summer ’24). According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 43% of U.S. electricity was generated with…

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Likely Data Ctr Elec. Demand in Exelon Territory Doubled This Year

Almost overnight, the conversation concerning power use in the U.S. changed. For years and years, electric power demand has been fairly static. Then, seemingly from nowhere, came the rise of AI and data centers, which are power-hungry. A year ago, we weren’t talking about data centers. Now, hardly a day goes by without a story…

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Antis Opposed to Gas-Fired Plant Near Richmond Hold Fake Hearing

Dominion Energy plans to build four small “peaker” electric generating plants in Chesterfield County, VA, near Richmond (see Dominion Plans to Build 1,000-MW Gas Peaker Plant Near Richmond, VA). The Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center (CERC) calls for building four 250-megawatt gas-fired power plants (1,000 MW total) that can jump into action during the coldest and…

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Massive Data Center with 3,500 MW Gas-Fired Plant Proposed for Va.

We are super excited to bring you the news that Balico, LLC has proposed building a gigantic, massive data center in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Sound familiar? We’ll get to the location in a moment. The data center would be powered by its own on-site gas-fired power plant complex, with 15 30-MW Mitsubishi gas turbines. Truly…

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5 Dem Governors (Including Shapiro) Blame PJM for THEIR Policies

Ever notice how politicians like to blame others when their own policies create havoc and chaos? When you block new gas-fired power plants that provide more electricity for growing demand and pretend unreliable renewables will step in to save the day, there are negative consequences, like the price of electricity soaring through the roof (see…

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Hope Gas Gets Ready to Roll Out WATT Fuel Cells to WV Customers

WATT fuel cell A fuel cell manufacturer located in Westmoreland County, PA — WATT Fuel Cell — manufactures Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (“SOFC”) stacks and systems that operate on common, readily available fuels such as natural gas and propane. Instead of burning and combusting natural gas (or propane), those fuel sources are subjected to an…

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Range Confirms Talking with Data Centers to Provide Gas for Power

Yesterday, MDN reported on Range Resources’ third quarter update (see Range 3Q Update: Adding 47 Wells in 2024, NGLs Boost Revenue). We left some things out of our analysis—important things. Range executives said they expect a big increase in natural gas demand right here in Marcellus/Utica and next door in the southeast. The M-U produced…

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