In recent years, U.S. production of natural gas has soared, turning the country from a net importer of the fuel to an exporter, largely due to growth in the Appalachian region in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. Along with that 60% gain in output over the past decade came numerous proposed pipeline projects to move that gas to markets in the Midwest and Northeast and to points south to export terminals to ship overseas as LNG, or liquefied natural gas. However, many of the proposed pipelines to deliver gas to nearby locales have been scuttled in recent years, running into local opposition to fossil-fuel infrastructure, regulatory problems, or protests from environmental groups. The most recent casualty was the PennEast pipeline from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, which would have drawn gas from the Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania. Gas output in Appalachia has jumped from about 4.7 […]