April 2021 archive

New growth in nation’s rig count

    The US rig count inched up by three in the last week to 521 as of April 28, according to Enverus Rig Analytics. The current count is up 5% in the last month and up 27% YOY and Oklahoma’s Chesapeake Energy is among those with increased activity. US activity levels have continued their …

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Congressman on Biden’s speech—all hat and no cattle

  While Democrats gave hearty support to President Biden’s more than one-hour long address to Congress Wednesday night in which he removed his mask, his push for his American Jobs Plan was panned by Oklahoma congressmen. As Tulsa Republican Rep. Kevin Hern put it, “To put an Oklahoma spin on it, Biden is all hat …

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Refineries wait for Supreme Court decision

  The wait begins for a southern Oklahoma refinery operator in its U.S. Supreme Court fight over EPA exemptions and waivers to mandated biofuels requirements. The Court heard arguments this week in Hollyfrontier Cheyenne Refining LLC v. Renewable Fuels Association which includes CVR Energy, operator of the Wynnewood refinery in Oklahoma. The two refinery operators challenged a …

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Energy news in brief

** President Biden highlights clean energy promises in his first address to Congress, including his commitment to make the U.S. a leader in electric vehicle and battery production. ** Building enough wind, solar and other renewable energy sources to achieve an emissions-free grid by 2035 will require a chunk of land the size of South Dakota, an estimate suggests. …

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Farm-based renewable natural gas project announced by ONE Gas

ONE Gas and Vanguard Renewables announced a renewable natural gas (RNG) initiative designed to develop and expand farm-based RNG projects across Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The announcement said it will be Vanguard Renewables’ first mid-continent alliance with a local natural gas distribution company that is committed to innovating its clean energy fuel mix through RNG. …

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Arkansas exec paid it but says $238,000 gas bill is ‘gouging’

  The operator of the Hot Springs, Arkansas Convention Center has paid a $238,450.96 monthly gas bill it received after the February winter storm, but it did so under protest, accusing the gas supplier of “price gouging.” The Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission paid the bill and also filed a complaint against the natural …

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Increased air travel is beginning to increase U.S. jet fuel consumption

  Thanks to the development of COVID-19 vaccines during the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. is coming out of restrictions that resulted in lockdowns throughout the country. It’s displayed by a recent increase in the number of air travel passengers which might also indicate a near-term increase in jet fuel demand reported the …

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Wind energy company studying SE Nebraska for possible wind farm

  Southeast Nebraska might become home to still another wind farm, thanks to the efforts of NextEra Energy, the same firm that constructed and operates several wind farms in Oklahoma. NextEra’s subsidiary, Big Blue Nebraska Wind LLC is exploring the meteorological possibilities of whether the winds in southeast Nebraska are steady and strong enough to …

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Iowa landowners consider trading ethanol crop for fields of solar in $4.7M project

  Some Iowa farmers are giving consideration to surrendering their farmland for the creation of a nearly $5 million solar farm, one that might provide them with a better income than the corn they produce. The project is the idea of Megawatt Photovoltaic Development Inc., a utility-scale solar developer that is seeking 1,500 acres of …

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GOP AGs challenge social cost of carbon emissions on pipelines

  The Republican attorneys general in Kansas and Missouri joined other GOP attorneys general in 20 states in a legal fight over the government’s failure to consider the social cost of carbon emissions in determining whether to approve new natural gas pipelines.   Eric Schmitt of Missouri and Derek Schmidt of Kansas filed comments with the Federal Energy Regulatory …

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