Some 150 leaders of American biofuel companies sent a letter to President Trump this week urging him to support and maintain the current Renewable Fuel Standard. They warned the President that any changes to the RFS and the Renewable Identification Number system would negatively impact ethanol and biofuel producers. “Like hundreds of thousands of others …
March 2018 archive
Appeals Court Judges Amazed at Polluting Texas Power Plant
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judges in New Orleans couldn’t believe how one of the nation’s dirtiest coal-fired electric power plants in Texas has been allowed to operate without permits for eleven years. A three-judge panel heard arguments this week in the case brought by the Sierra Club against Luminant’s Martin Lake power plant southwest …
Wildfires Plague Kansas Again
Wildfires this week darkened thousands of acres in Oklahoma and Kansas but the biggest loss was in Kansas where at least 25,000 acres burned. A wildfire in Ellis county in northern Kansas prompted the evacuation of the small town of Catharine near Hays. Highway patrol troopers went from farm to farm, urging people to flee. …
Devon Announces Sale of $553 million in Barnett Shale Holdings
Oklahoma City’s Devon Energy announced Thursday it has reached an agreement to sell the southern portion of its Barnett shale position in north Texas for $553 million. At the same time, the company has made an offer to purchase $1 billion in debentures held by investors. The sale of the Barnett shale holdings is expected …
ODOT Okays More Road and Bridge Projects in State But Warns Budget Cuts Will Slow Some
The Oklahoma Transportation Commission was warned this week that budget cuts signed into law last month by the governor will undoubtedly slow progress in many road and bridge projects. The projects fall under the state’s County Improvements for roads and Bridges program. “While no future projects have been removed from the five-year CIRB plan due …
Blueknight Energy Reports 4th Q 2017 Loss But is Rebounding for 2018
Oklahoma City-based Blueknight Energy is reporting a drop in its fourth quarter 2017 net income. At the same time, business has picked up in the STACK and SCOOP giving optimism to corporate leaders. Released late Wednesday, the report showed net income of $0.4 million compared to $2 million for the same period in 2016. The …
State School Board to Consider Computer Science Standards
The Oklahoma State Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Thursday, March 7 to comply with new 2 percent budget mandates. But it will also consider computer science standards that, if approved, will result in Oklahoma joining nine other states with computer science standards and only two with grade-specific expectations. “Computer science is …
Democrats Question EPA Contract Awarded Security Chief for Scott Pruitt
EPA chief Scott Pruitt faces more scrutiny from Democrats. This time, Delaware Sen. Tom Carper wants to know more about a contract recently won by Pruitt’s head of security, Pasquale “Nino” Perrotta. In a letter fired off to the former Oklahoma Attorney General this week, Carper questioned the security-related $3,000 contract from the EPA. Perrotta, …
GOP Moves to Speed Up Undoing of WOTUS
Washington, D.C. reports indicate Republicans in Congress are moving ahead with a plan to exempt a repeal of the Waters of the U.S. rule from the Administrative Procedures Act. Politico’s Morning Energy Report indicated it would result in a speed-up of the undoing of the Obama administration creation that drew the ire of farmers and …
Historic Gas Pump Stolen from Route 66 Gas Station in Miami
You can’t blame the American Pickers for the missing 8-foot-tall history red gas pump from an historic gas station in Miami, Oklahoma. However, they no doubt would be interested in the valuable item. Thieves tried to steal all three of the nearly 100-year old gas pumps from the Marathon Gas station but could only get …