Right in the middle of Kansas—Great Bend—residents want tougher rules for solar farms. Many residents of Barton County, once an oil hot-spot half a century ago, want protection of their popular Cheyenne Bottoms wildlife area from construction of solar farms. Cheyenne Bottoms is a nearly 60-square mile natural geologic depression that is the …
Category: Solar Energy in Oklahoma
Oklahoma legislative committee gives early approval of tax package for Enel solar plant
If renewable energy company Enel North America meets the terms of a state House approved taxpayer incentives package, it could get up to $180 million in incentives from Oklahoma over a proposed solar panel factor at the Tulsa Port of Inola. A House joint appropriations committee voted this week to give initial approval to …
Latest edition of Mitchell Talks Energy
Just what are Scott Mitchell and Jerry Bohnen discussing this week on Mitchell Talks Energy? Sometimes, their talk meanders into related fields of discussion as you’ll learn in this edition.
Solar panels are “eye sores” to Colorado residents
Opposition to renewable energy projects sometimes isn’t so much about their dependency on the wind and sun, but their destruction of views. That’s right—some opponents feel the massive wind farms are unsightly. Now it’s the same argument being made by northwest Colorado residents to a proposed solar farm near the town of Meeker. They …
PSO wins Corporation Commission approval of $2.46 billion renewable energy project
With a 2-0 vote, Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners on Thursday signed off on the $2.46 billion renewable energy project for Public Service Company of Oklahoma. The project includes PSO’s acquisition of three solar farms and three wind farms located in southern Kansas and the Texas Panhandle. Commissioner Bob Anthony was absent from the meeting where …
Quick reads of other energy stories
** Firms that haul freight across the San Diego-Tijuana border say they are not prepared for California’s plan to phase out diesel trucks because Mexico lacks zero-emission vehicles and charging infrastructure. ** Under pressure from environmentalists, New York lawmakers on Tuesday made their state the first in the nation to ban the use of natural gas …
US Senate votes to override Biden’s lifting of tariffs on Chinese made solar panels
Oklahoma U.S. Sens. James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin were among those Wednesday in the Senate who helped pass a measure to override President Biden’s move last year to allow Chinese solar panel manufacturers to avoid tariffs for 24 months. The vote was 56-41 and included some Democrats who voted in favor of the resolution …
PSO’s $2.4 billion renewable energy project to be voted on by Corporation Commissioners
Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners will meet Thursday to consider a settlement agreement reached over the $2.46 billion renewable energy project proposed by Public Service Company of Oklahoma. The joint stipulation and settlement agreement was announced last week by Attorney General Gentner Drummond who finally signed onto the settlement for the need of the project. “With …
Rep. Cole—why the House overturned Biden’s lifting of foreign solar panel tariffs
Oklahoma U.S. Rep. Tom Cole got straight to the point in explaining why he and other members of the House voted to overturn President Biden who tariffs on foreign solar panel manufacturers. “The United States cannot continue to ignore China’s unfair trade practices and sacrifice American manufacturing jobs on the altar of Green New …
Agreement announced on PSO renewable energy projects
Attorney General Gentner Drummond and several parties representing customer interests have entered into a joint stipulation and settlement agreement with Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) regarding its pending application for approval of six capacity projects. The settlement paves the way for a decrease in PSO customer rates beginning in 2026. The project …