Tag: natural gas

Pandemic-Era Vinyl Gets Re-Released And Natural Gas Leader Talks Industry, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, this month marked five years since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of public spaces across the United States. The Cornelius Eady Trio, a ban organized around Tennessee poet and professor Cornelius Eady, used that time to create art.

On this West Virginia Morning, this month marked five years since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of public spaces across the United States. The Cornelius Eady Trio, a ban organized around Tennessee poet and professor Cornelius Eady, used that time to create art.

The trio recorded “Don’t Get Dead: Pandemic Folk Songs by the Cornelius Eady Trio.” As Mason Adams reported for Inside Appalachia, the record was recently re-released on vinyl.

Plus, leaders from the natural gas industry met with Gov. Patrick Morrisey at the State Capitol last week for a roundtable discussion. Afterward, Curtis Tate spoke with Jim Crews, chairman of the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia, about gas pipelines, data centers and the challenge of ordering gas turbines for new plants.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Maria Young produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Mountain Valley Pipeline’s Final Cost Nears $10 Billion

When it first broke ground in 2018, the Mountain Valley Pipeline was estimated to cost $3.5 billion. 

The contentious Mountain Valley Pipeline cost even more than expected to complete – almost $10 billion, according to a regulatory filing.

When it first broke ground in 2018, the Mountain Valley Pipeline was estimated to cost $3.5 billion. 

The pipeline was finished in June, six years later, at a cost of $9.6 billion, according to a filing last Wednesday to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The document cites an additional $1.5 billion in costs, including an extra $1.2 billion in construction costs, over the previous estimate.

The 303-mile natural gas pipeline had been delayed by legal challenges but was also affected by weather, labor issues and inflation.

In May, a portion of the pipe in Roanoke County, Virginia, burst during a pressure test.

Congress approved a spending deal in mid-2023 that resolved the court challenges, with the support of President Joe Biden and West Virginia Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito.

Report: Coal’s Decline In Electricity Generation Irreversible

Nearly 70,000 megawatts of coal generation will go offline from 2025 to 2030. 

Coal’s share of electricity generation continues to shrink and the trend is irreversible, a report says.

Nearly 70,000 megawatts of coal generation will go offline from 2025 to 2030. 

That’s what the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis concluded based on federal data, public announcements, financial statements and plans submitted to state regulators.

The number includes coal plants that convert to natural gas. The U.S. Energy Information Administration doesn’t count those as retirements.

The number does not include any coal plant in West Virginia. But an Appalachian Power executive recently told Virginia regulators that converting the Amos and Mountaineer plants in West Virginia is an option the company is considering.

In 2030, the report forecasts, nearly 64 percent of the nationwide coal plant capacity of 2011, the peak year, will be off the grid.

FERC Tells Court It Has Power To Extend MVP Deadline

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission says it has the power to give the Mountain Valley Pipeline more time to build its Southgate Extension.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission says it has the power to give the Mountain Valley Pipeline more time to build its Southgate Extension from Virginia into North Carolina. 

A coalition of groups led by Appalachian Voices asked the U.S. Appeals Court in the District of Columbia to review the agency’s decision from last year.

The 303-mile main line of the nearly $8 billion MVP began operating in June. The 31-mile extension would serve Dominion Power and Duke Energy.

A previous deadline for the project passed in June 2023.

FERC says it holds broad discretion under the Natural Gas Act to set construction deadlines for gas transmission projects and extend them for “good cause.”

Switching From Coal To Gas And The Legislature’s Second Special Session, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Appalachian Power is considering a conversion of two West Virginia power plants from coal to natural gas, and the West Virginia legislature convened for its second special session.

On this West Virginia Morning, Appalachian Power is at least considering a conversion of two West Virginia power plants from coal to natural gas. The region produces a large amount of natural gas, which has become the preferred fuel for generating electricity nationwide and in the states surrounding West Virginia.

Also, the West Virginia legislature convened for its second special session of the year Monday to focus on supplemental appropriations, as well as proposed tax cuts.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Maria Young produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Virginia Fines Mountain Valley Pipeline After Water Releases

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has fined Mountain Valley Pipeline $30,500 for erosion control and water pollution violations.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline has received another round of fines in Virginia.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has fined Mountain Valley Pipeline $30,500 for erosion control and water pollution violations.

The fines account for separate incidents that occurred as the pipeline was in pressure testing.

On May 1, a portion of the pipe ruptured, releasing an unknown volume of water and sediment and on June 4, a connecting hose broke, releasing more water as a round of pressure testing concluded.

Irina Calos, a spokeswoman for the agency, said the fines – totaling $13,000 – are related to the May and June incidents.

According to a letter from DEQ to MVP dated July 23, three levels of penalties applied, from $500, to $2,500, up to $6,500.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave authorization in late June for the 303-mile gas pipeline to begin operating.

Shawn Day, a spokesman for Mountain Valley Pipeline, said the letter was received as part of DEQ’s quarterly review of the project.

“The recent letter from VADEQ includes stipulated penalties for the second quarter of 2024, which were primarily related to issues involving the installation of erosion control devices,” he said. “These noted items were quickly resolved, and full payment will be made without dispute.”

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