June 19, 2018 archive

Icahn gains control of Oklahoma City’s SandRidge Energy

There’s a reason Carl Icahn is smiling. He got his wish—control of Oklahoma City’s SandRidge Energy during the company’s annual shareholders meeting on Tuesday. Now shareholders will wait to see what he does with the company. And how quickly he acts. A day after he made a last-minute plea to shareholders to dump the current …

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Regulators give final approval to $64 million OGE rate reduction

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday for the approval to a settlement in the Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E) rate case that is the largest single rate reduction for an Oklahoma electric utility. Commission Chairman Dana Murphy called the agreement a win-win for all concerned. “The settlement will cut rates by $64 million …

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City of Bixby ups ante in wind farm fight

The city of Bixby has taken another step in its fight to stop PSO’s Wind Catcher project and its massive transmission lines in the city. The council voted Monday night to hire an attorney to take the fight to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission where PSO’s application for pre-approval of the project has yet to be …

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Bigger cranes purchased for larger wind turbine projects in Oklahoma and other states

A Wyoming based transportation firm with regional offices in Enid, Oklahoma announced this week the major purchase of two new large cranes for oilfield and wind turbine projects. Transportation Partners and Logistics, LLC said a Liebherr LR 1300 SX crawler crane was purchased for its largest distribution center in Garden City, Kansas. The second was …

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Black Stone appoints new partnership president

Black Stone Minerals, L.P., the Houston company with 700,000 acres in assets in Oklahoma and 16.5 million nationwide announced this week the appointment of Jeff Wood as President of the Partnership. He will also continue duties as Chief Financial Officer. The company said Thomas L. Carter Jr. will continue as Black Stone Minerals’ Chief Executive …

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Gasoline prices drop in Oklahoma but remain high in rural areas

The price of gasoline dropped slightly in the past week across the U.S. and in Oklahoma. The new statewide average is $2.61 a gallon compared to the national average of $2.86, according to AAA Oklahoma. The state has some of the cheapest gasoline in the country. Nationwide, 44 states have less expensive or steady gas …

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Inhofe defends coal ash enforcement transfer to Oklahoma

While the EPA decision transferring coal ash enforcement to Oklahoma regulators resulted in a lawsuit threat from environmental groups, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe is praising the move. He helped author it. Oklahoma is the first state in the nation to be granted the authority by the Environmental Protection Agency and it was Sen. Inhofe who …

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Environmental groups threaten suit against EPA over coal ash contamination in Oklahoma

The environmental activist group Earthjustice indicates it will file a lawsuit to stop EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt from transferring oversight of coal ash contamination to Oklahoma. “If anyone believes this decision will protect Oklahoma’s residents from coal ash pollution, than I have some oceanfront property in the state to sell you,” wrote Jennifer Cassel, an …

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NY Times got it wrong in latest story about Pruitt—–and apologizes

Red faces at the Old Gray Lady.  The New York Times had to make a major correction in a story that attacked EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and falsely accused him of using his influence to get his daughter into the University of Virginia law school. Then over the weekend, the paper admitted it was wrong …

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