Two factors caused a 2% drop Wednesday in crude oil prices. The war against Iran and the near shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz through which most of the oil in the Middle East must past are the main factors. The Trump White House sent a 15-point peace plan to Iran but the country, …
Lawsuit could stop a data center near Sand Springs
The proposed data center by Google near Sand Springs led to a lawsuit filed this week claiming the land in question cannot be used for industrial development. The conservation group, Land Legacy, filed suit in Osage County District court contending the 800-acre proposed development site has a conservation easement. Legacy’s Executive Director Michael Patton says …
Carbon capture pipeline stalled by another court decision
A North Dakota judge handed another major setback for Summit Carbon Solutions, the company supported by Oklahoma oilman Harold Hamm, in its pursuit of establishing a carbon pipeline storage network over several states. The recent decision by South Central Judicial District Judge Jackson Lofgren was the second time in the past four months that a …
Permitting reform schedule is tight for new Sen. Armstrong
If Alan Armstrong, Oklahoma’s new U.S. Senator is to fulfill his goal of energy permitting reform in the seven months he will hold the office, he will, as the saying goes, “hit the ground running.” On the day he was sworn in as a replacement for Markwayne Mullin who resigned to become the nation’s new …
Energy briefs
** Oil prices sank about 4% after reports the US had sent Iran a 15-point proposal aimed at ending the war in the Middle East, raising prospects of a ceasefire that could ease supply disruptions in the region. ** Brent slipped back under $100 as Iran signaled it may let some non‑combatant ships through the Strait of Hormuz. ** …
Unlikely support for nationwide data center moratorium
Oklahoma opponents of data centers will want to know they have support from two unlikely sources—Democrats Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Sen. Sanders, Vermont and Rep. Ocasio-Cortz, New York, planned to introduce legislation this week to block the construction of any more new data centers across the nation until lawmakers enact regulations on AI. …
Government begins survey on data center power use
EIA Launches Pilot Survey on Data Center Energy Use One of the major concerns expressed by those opposed to data centers in Oklahoma has been the impact on consumer electric bills and the amount of power the projects will need. Not only has it been the subject of legislation in the Oklahoma legislature, but now, …
Should ERCOT be forced to join an electric grid?
Federal Lawmakers Push to Connect Texas Power Grid to Nation Another effort is underway in Congress to force Texas to join the nation’s major electric grids, targeting the state’s largely independent system operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Three members of Congress recently reintroduced the Connect the Grid Act, which would require …
Cold front could produce more wildfires in Oklahoma
Cold Front Raises Wildfire Danger Across Oklahoma The arrival of a Thursday evening cold front has the Oklahoma Forestry Service alert for increased chances of destructive wildfires. “Given the state of the fuels and increasing fire weather again, large fire probabilities are increasing,” according to the latest fire update from the Forestry Service. Already, firefighters …