March 2020 archive

Air Force begins environmental assessment of B-21 bomber’s maintenance centers

Two years after the Air Force announced that Tinker Air Force Base would maintain and sustain the new B-21 Raider aircraft, the air base is starting legal paperwork regarding two potential alternative sites for a 75-acre B-21 depot maintenance campus. Legal notices in newspapers by the Air Force seek public comment regarding the project’s potential …

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Wind group says 35,000 wind-energy jobs are at risk over coronavirus

The coronavirus crisis could put 35,000 wind energy jobs at risk, and put 25 gigawatts of wind projects, representing $35 billion in investment, in jeopardy, according to an initial estimate from the American Wind Energy Association. AWEA joined several other clean-energy trade groups last week in calling on Congress for emergency provisions to help compensate for slowdowns …

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Refiners prepare to challenge Denver Federal Appeals Court decision

  A challenge appears in the making to a ruling by the Denver Federal Appeals Court that was against small refinery operators including one in southern Oklahoma. The three operators who lost the biofuels case in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals reportedly will ask the court for an en banc hearing of the case …

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North Dakota weighs plan to keep some Bakken crude off market

  North Dakota leaders are considering a move to turn off the oil spigot as the state and the rest of the U.S. face the likelihood of low oil prices for the coming months, something it did five years ago. Faced with declining demand and potentially months of oil prices below most Bakken breakeven prices, …

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Oil hovers at $22 a barrel range

While West Texas Intermediate crude prices hover in the lower $20 barrel range, observers wonder what will be the next move by Saudi Arabia and Russia. Both are suffering as well as their anticipated flood of oil on the world market might have backfired. The two countries are reporting the dramatic drop in the value …

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New Mexico leaders weighing possible special session of legislature

  The state of New Mexico might soon see a special legislative session to deal with the impact of not only the coronavirus but the oil and gas price war caused by Saudi Arabia and Russia. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was notified by legislative leaders by letter last week that they want a …

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Energy news in brief

** Correction: The David Holt who is head of the Consumer Energy Alliance who wrote about banning efforts of cities and and towns from prohibiting natural gas use is not the mayor of Oklahoma City as we reported earlier this week.  Our apologies. ** Ohio regulators prohibit competitive gas and electricity supply companies from selling services door-to-door during …

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Consumer leader writes to support proposed ban on barring natural gas use

  Consumer group leader David Holt has come out this week in support of a bill in the legislature to ban any attempts by local governments from banning the use of natural gas in homes and businesses—moves which have been made in California and a few other states. Holt is head of the Consumer Energy …

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OK regulators close state office building due to coronavirus

Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners made the move to shut down their office building this week after an employee reportedly became ill due to the coronavirus, a move that also affects a handful of other state agencies that use the building. Located at 2101 North Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City, the building was closed late Friday as …

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Layoffs in oil and gas grow in response to oil glut and coronavirus

Like dominoes falling on a table, oil and gas industry jobs are tumbling—victims of the oil glut caused by Russia and Saudi Arabia and the government’s clampdown due to the coronavirus. Oilfield pipe manufacturer Tenaris announced it has started laying off 900 workers at plants in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas and Arkansas because the combination of …

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