Natural Gas
Since the beginning of the fracking boom, economic data show that natural gas development has failed to generate prosperity—or even stave off economic decline—in the region’s largest gas-producing counties.
Robust, lasting job and population growth will require transitioning away from gas-based models of economic development.
Photo: Ted Auch, FracTracker Alliance, 2022.
“Between 2008 and 2019, the economic output of the region’s largest gas-producing counties grew at triple the national average. Yet, the region’s share of jobs, population, and income all declined.”
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Load Growth Fever, LNG, and the Risk of Higher Electric Rates
Meeting load growth forecasts with new natural gas generation could cause double-digit hikes in the price of electricity.
Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support stricter regulations on fracking
Nine in ten Pennsylvania voters support stricter regulations on the fracking industry, new polling shows.
The peril, politics, and price of fracking waste
Presidential candidate Kamala Harris recently announced that, if elected, she would not ban fracking, re-igniting a debate that has roiled national politics again and again. Her new position seems to be based on the mistaken belief that fracking enjoys public support,...
Another Gas Pipeline Expansion Could Drive More Fracking in Appalachia’s Gas Reserves
A new plan to expand a New England gas pipeline would drive more fracking in Appalachia’s colossal gas reserves. “Project Maple” is a proposal by the Canadian energy company Enbridge to expand its Algonquin Gas Transmission Pipeline by 25%, or 750 million cubic feet...
Appalachia’s power plants by net generation and capacity factor
In all, the states of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia have 85 non-peaker coal and gas-fired power plants with capacities of 100 MW or greater. The following chart lists the plants alphabetically and indicates each plant’s owner, location, start date,...
LNG Exports Are a Rotten Deal for Appalachians
In a recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece, former Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan decried President Biden’s recent decision to pause liquified natural gas (LNG) export authorizations. Ryan, tugging on heartstrings, claimed that LNG exports and other new avenues for...
2023 in Review
Together, a more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable Appalachia is possible. That’s the vision that has geared our data-driven research, guided our outreach and campaigns, and grounded our work in the region’s community and culture ever since the Ohio River Valley...
The Meaning of MVP
Tucked amid the Biden administration's cornucopia of climate initiatives was a poison pill: the greenlighting of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) in Appalachia. When the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 essentially bulldozed the permitting review process for...
Frackalachia Update: Peak Natural Gas and the Economic Implications for Appalachia
Appalachia’s largest gas-producing counties have continued their economic spiral, data show, as regional gas output begins to plateau.