Nation’s first shale-gas power plant authorized in Pa.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Panda Power Funds and Pennsylvania officials commissioned the nation’s first Marcellus Sale power plant, according to Business Wire.
Located in Bradford County, the 829 megawatt Panda “Liberty” generating station will provide power for up to one million homes. The facility will have a significant operating advantage with access to the region’s low-cost natural gas.
The plant may be the first of it’s kind, but it’s the beginning of a trend away from coal-fired to natural gas-fueled electricity generation.
The plant is expected to achieve operating efficiencies of 60 percent, while contributing an estimated $5.97 billion to the area’s economy over the next decade.
Learn more: Business Wire > Panda Power Funds Commissions Nation’s First Marcellus Shale-Gas Power Plant
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.