West Virginia

Oil & gas and construction news for subcontractors working in West Virginia — 43 stories and counting.

Senate Permitting Bill Would End Utilities' Right to Build New Regional Lines

A bipartisan Senate bill would give FERC project-by-project transmission siting authority and eliminate the federal right of first refusal for incumbent utilities. Amendments are expected in November.

4d ago

Industry

Power Boom Forecast Hides a Construction-Readiness Gap

A new MSI Economics forecast projects $150 billion in annual U.S. power-generation construction by 2030, but equipment shortages and interconnection delays mean only a fraction of announced capacity is actually financeable or buildable near-term.

Sep 15, 2026

Editorial image: industry general - Power Boom Forecast Hides a Construction-Readiness Gap

Compliance

WVU Study Links Plumber Injuries to PPE Avoidance, Rush Culture

A West Virginia University study of 23 licensed plumbers finds PPE reluctance, employer productivity pressure, and inadequate training are driving workplace injuries and long-term health problems.

Sep 15, 2026

Industry

Pennsylvania PUC Opens Review of Data Center Rates, Curtailment Rules

The Pennsylvania PUC voted to examine ratemaking transparency and emergency curtailment rules as data center load growth strains PJM grid capacity, setting up regulatory changes that could reshape utility rate cases and interconnection timelines.

Sep 12, 2026

Editorial image: substation grid feeding data center - Pennsylvania PUC Opens Review of Data Center Rates, Curtailment Rules

Industry

EIA: Solar Generation to Jump 21% in 2026 on Data Center Demand

The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts solar generation growth of 21% in 2026 and 18% in 2027, driven by data center and manufacturing electricity demand, with growth concentrated in ERCOT and MISO.

Sep 12, 2026

Editorial image: Aerial solar farm meets data center construction - EIA: Solar Generation to Jump 21% in 2026 on Data Center Demand

Industry

PJM Stands to Gain Most From New Transmission Study, $6.7B in Benefits

A new study from S&P Global's CERA Consulting finds 13 high-value transmission projects could deliver $15.3 billion in net benefits through 2050, with PJM capturing the largest share, pointing to a wave of upcoming transmission work.

Sep 3, 2026

Editorial image: Transmission tower construction at dusk - PJM Stands to Gain Most From New Transmission Study, $6.7B in Benefits

Compliance

CSB Update: Fatal H2S Release at WV Refiner Tied to Missing Decommissioning Procedures

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board's ongoing probe into a fatal April 2026 hydrogen sulfide release at Catalyst Refiners in Institute, West Virginia, found workers lacked gas monitors and proper respirator filters during decommissioning work.

Aug 29, 2026

Compliance

Miners' Union Presses MSHA to Restore Silica Dust Rule Enforcement

United Mine Workers of America president Brian Sanson is demanding MSHA immediately enforce its stalled silica exposure rule, citing new black lung data from coal country. The fight has direct implications for any contractor cutting, drilling or blasting rock and concrete.

Aug 21, 2026

Editorial image: compliance general - Miners' Union Presses MSHA to Restore Silica Dust Rule Enforcement

Industry

DOE Cancels Three Federal Grid Corridor Designations

The Department of Energy has withdrawn plans to designate three National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors, cutting a batch of long-haul transmission routes from the federal permitting pipeline.

Aug 18, 2026

Industry

US Rig Count Climbs to 593 as Oklahoma Adds Rig

Baker Hughes data shows the U.S. rig count rose to 593 last week while Oklahoma gained one rig to reach 51, pointing to steady near-term work for drilling and completions crews.

Aug 16, 2026

Editorial image: Aerial multi-rig basin at golden-hour - US Rig Count Climbs to 593 as Oklahoma Adds Rig

Industry

Dominion's Offshore Wind Costs Jump $288M on PJM Upgrades, Tariffs

Dominion Energy now pegs its Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project at $11.7 billion, up nearly $300 million, citing PJM network upgrade charges, tariffs and revised turbine installation schedules, Utility Dive reports.

Aug 3, 2026

Industry

AEP Locks Up 13 GW of Gas Turbines Through 2031, Eyes 10 GW More

American Electric Power has secured 13 GW of gas turbine capacity from GE Vernova and Mitsubishi through 2031, with options for 10 GW more by 2035, deepening an already tight turbine supply chain, Utility Dive reports.

Aug 3, 2026

Industry

Northeast Gas Prices Buck National Trend on Power Demand Strength

Natural Gas Intelligence reports Northeast cash prices rallied Friday on regional power demand, even as broader Lower 48 markets stayed soft on comfortable supply.

Aug 2, 2026

Industry

PJM Board Files FERC Proposals to Manage Data Center Power Demand

PJM's Board of Managers has directed two regulatory filings with FERC to fast-track power procurement for data centers and create a curtailment mechanism, aiming to address a projected 6.8 GW capacity shortfall.

Jul 31, 2026

Industry

FERC Sets September Deadline for PJM Governance Overhaul

FERC Chairman Laura Swett warns PJM Interconnection must adopt board and stakeholder reforms by the end of September or the commission will impose its own changes, following a technical conference on the grid operator's governance crisis.

Jul 25, 2026

Industry

TGP Floats 219 South Expansion as 4-State Natural Gas Power Corridor Takes Shape

Tennessee Gas Pipeline opened a non-binding open season for its 219 South Project, offering up to 530,000 Dth/d of new Appalachian-to-Southeast firm capacity to meet rising power demand.

Jul 13, 2026

Compliance

MSHA Opens $250K Safety Training Grant Window, Deadline Aug. 31

MSHA is accepting applications through Aug. 31 for Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants worth up to $250,000, funding emergency response and recovery training for mining operations.

Jul 23, 2026

Industry

Grid Congestion Costs Signal Transmission Upgrade Wave for Electrical Contractors

Transmission congestion cost PJM Interconnection market participants $1.8 billion over May and June combined, a Reuters column via BOE Report reports, pointing to sustained demand for transmission and substation upgrade work.

Jul 21, 2026

Industry

FERC's Large-Load Orders Could Decide Which Data Centers Get Built First

FERC's June 18 show cause orders to six grid operators aim to standardize data center interconnection rules, and the projects that offer grid flexibility may break ground fastest, Utility Dive reports.

Jul 16, 2026

Editorial image: Data center substation interconnection gap - FERC's Large-Load Orders Could Decide Which Data Centers Get Built First

Industry

DOE Invokes Emergency Order to Shore Up PJM Grid During Mid-Atlantic Heat Wave

The Department of Energy issued a Section 202(c) emergency order on July 14, 2026, letting PJM tap 35 GW of backup generation as a record heat wave pushes peak demand past 160,000 MW.

Jul 16, 2026

Industry

PJM Capacity Auction Misses Target by 6.8 GW for Third Straight Year

PJM Interconnection's 2028/2029 capacity auction fell 6,831 MW short of reliability requirements, marking a third consecutive shortfall as data center demand outpaces new generation across the mid-Atlantic grid.

Jul 15, 2026

Industry

Exelon CEO Warns of 2027 Blackouts, Seeks Power Plant Buildout

Exelon CEO Calvin Butler says the U.S. risks blackouts by 2027 and wants states to let regulated utilities build power plants again, a shift that could reshape generation construction bidding.

Jul 13, 2026

Industry

DOE Draft Report Ties $12B Congestion Costs to Transfer Capacity Gaps

A DOE draft study finds transmission congestion cost $12 billion in 2024 and identifies interregional transfer capacity as the top fix, flagging ERCOT, the Southeast, and Northeast links as priority zones.

Jul 10, 2026

Industry

INGAA Study Sees $162B Pipeline Buildout Need Through 2037

A new INGAA Foundation report finds the US and Canada will need 25.25 bcfd of new natural gas pipeline capacity and 13,273 miles of new pipe from 2028-37, backed by over $1 trillion in midstream investment through 2052.

Jul 8, 2026

Industry

PJM Power Prices Triple as Heat Wave, Data Center Demand Strain Grid

A heat dome pushed PJM's grid near record demand this week, spiking wholesale power prices past $2,000/MWh, with Oilprice.com reporting data centers now drive nearly all projected load growth through 2030.

Jul 4, 2026

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