A Short History of the Shale Revolution
Origins of Shale Gas Production Shale gas is natural gas found in low-permeability sedimentary rock formations deep beneath the surface. Although small amounts of shale gas were produced as far back as the 1800s, for much of the 20th century it was not a major resource because it was difficult and costly to extract. One […]
Winter Storm Fern: La Niña’s Freeze Sends Natural Gas Prices Soaring
La Niña Sets the Stage Leading into Winter 2025-26 much of the talk was about the possibility of a La Nina Winter. A La Nina pattern emerges when the surface temperatures of the Pacific Ocean fall below average. While the shift in ocean temperatures may seem insignificant, it can shift the “Jet Stream”, the fast-moving […]
New Power Plants Surging in the Permian Basin
Modeling the Impact of New Gas-Fired Generation in West Texas West Texas is one of the hottest places for natural gas and electric generation, experiencing substantial growth in both supply and demand for each. The Permian Basin, sitting on the Western edge of Texas, continues to create plentiful gas supply in the region, to the […]
25Q3 Insights, Using GPCM to Capture AI’s Growing Energy Footprint
25Q3 has been awash with stories, new articles, and reports about the impact of AI and data centers on energy demand, and justifiably so – the billions of dollars already invested in digital and physical infrastructure will only increase in the coming years. We at RBAC continue to evaluate information about data center demand, particularly […]
Forecasting the Surge: Virginia Data Centers, Natural Gas, and the Power Demand Puzzle
Virginia is home to many things – the nation’s capital, some of the worst traffic in the country, and 7.6 GW of data center IT load, according to Mordor Intelligence, or about 600 facilities. That’s more computing capacity than anywhere else in the country (or even the world), and that’s only expected to increase in […]
Rethinking Energy Demand Through 2050: Review of the EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2025
What Happens If the AEO 2025 Basic Assumptions Get Significantly Altered? As energy planners and market participants look toward the future, long-term forecasts like the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) play a central role in shaping expectations and strategic planning. But what happens when the assumptions fundamental to those forecasts are […]
The New Natural Gas “Swing States”
Long thought of in a political light, the term “swing states” refers to those states comprised of electorates who show no discernable trend toward any party and thus, could “swing” either Republican or Democrat. It is these states who can make or break a politician’s run for office. Soon the term could take on a […]
Crude Oil Craziness: Will Natural Gas Prices Follow Suit?
“Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes….”, “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together…. mass hysteria!” Oh, and crude oil goes negative…no this isn’t Ghostbusters, but the times are unprecedented. The scramble to find storage, any storage, or demand from under any rock is upon us. Such environments lead to a wide array of prognostications, many […]
