** Ford said it will begin shipping to North American dealers 144,000 of its redesigned F-150 and Ranger pickup trucks that it built but held back until now in an effort to head off quality problems. ** American greenhouse gas emissions rose 1 percent between 2021 and 2022 but fell nearly 17 percent from 2005 levels, …
April 2024 archive
Colorado Governor wants investigation of Xcel Energy’s decision to turn off power during high wind storm
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has entered the fray over Xcel Energy’s decision last week to shut off power during a weekend wind storm that packed winds of 100 miles an hour. He’s ordered an investigation after Boulder County officials complained the utility firm’s decision was made without much notice. Some customers were without power …
BNSF fights administration’s two-person train rule
Burlington Northern Santa Fe, the freight train operator with tracks all throughout Oklahoma, is one of four railroads asking federal appeals court to throw out a new Biden administration rule requiring two-person train crews. The railways contend the rules unveiled last week from the Federal Railroad Administration are arbitrary, capricious and an illegal abuse …
Lankford, Mullin and others fight latest EPA rules targeting oil and gas
U.S. Sens. James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin were among those forming a coalition of Republican lawmakers in introducing a bill to overturn the President’s environmental regulations targeting oil and gas drilling. Their bill targets the EPA’s rules that were finalized last year to curb methane and other air pollutants. “Oklahomans don’t need another …
Environmentalists call supertanker terminal approval “disastrous”
Environmentalists who typically supported the Biden administration in its anti-oil and gas moves were dashed this week when the federal government approved what will be the largest supertanker Sea Port Oil Terminal off the coast of Texas. Environmentalists called it a betrayal by the administration in paving the way for a $1.8 billino project …
Legislation to finance Arkansas River Levee improvements wins committee approval
The Oklahoma House of Representatives Appropriations & Budget Committee has approved legislation aimed at bolstering the Arkansas River Levees through the establishment of a revolving fund managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Senate Bill 1391, carried in the House by Rep. Lonnie Sims, R-Jenks, paves the way for the creation of the Arkansas River …
Inflation worries send crude prices downward
Crude oil prices finished down on Thursday—so did most Oklahoma energy stocks. And for the first time in weeks, world oil prices dropped below $90 a barrel. Inflation predictions played a role in things as analysts believe it will not bring lower U.S. interest rates. Plus, there’s the matter of whether Iran will respond …
OGE contends it was a “victim” of winter storm market manipulation
A day after the Oklahoma Attorney General sued two natural gas suppliers and accused them of illegally hiking natural gas prices during the 2021 winter storm, a spokesman for Oklahoma Gas and Electric defended his utility and said it was a “victim” of the alleged market manipulation. Bill Hume, Senior Counsel for OG&E rose …
One survey suggests Oklahoma is among the top 10 least environmentally friendly states
A report by the personal-finance website WalletHub contends Oklahoma ranks 41st on a list of 2024’s Greenest States. WalletHub compared the 50 states in terms of 25 key metrics that speak to the current health of the environment and residents’ environmental-friendliness. The data set ranges from green buildings per capita to the share of …
Oklahoma regulators push for more legal action to recover 2021 winter storm costs
At least two of Oklahoma’s three Corporation Commissioners hope the state attorney general’s lawsuits filed against energy suppliers accused of market manipulation during the 2021 winter storm lead to more legal actions to help ratepayers. “I am thankful the AG says he “will pursue additional litigation against other … bad actors [who] reaped billions …