** The second of two new nuclear reactors in Georgia has entered commercial operation, capping a project that cost billions more and took years longer than originally projected. Georgia Power Co. and fellow owners announced the milestone Monday for Plant Vogtle’s Unit 4, which joins an earlier new reactor southeast of Augusta in splitting atoms to make …
April 2024 archive
County assessor offers high-technology help to tornado damaged areas
Oklahoma County Assessor Larry Stein has sent some of his staff with its new technology to the tornado damaged areas of Oklahoma to help in the wake of the storms that killed four people on Saturday. “We are sending out our crews with our leading-edge technology to discover and catalogue all the damage in …
Electric rate hikes and Mitchell Talks Energy with Jerry Bohnen
A fight is definitely brewing as two of Oklahoma’s major utilities, Oklahoma Gas and Electric and Public Service Company of Oklahoma seek rate hikes. Both will go before the Corporation Commission this summer. Who better to discuss it then Scott Mitchell and Jerry Bohnen on their latest podcast of Mitchell Talks Energy With Jerry Bohnen. …
Possible ceasefire and inflation data send crude oil prices down by more than $1 a barrel
Crude oil prices took a more than $1 a barrel plunge during Monday’s trading as Israel ceasefire talks grew in Cairo and at the same time, U.S. inflation data deflated hopes for any imminent interest rate cuts. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, dropped $1.22 or 1.5% per barrel on the New York Mercantile …
OGE approaches 90% of power restoration after deadly tornadoes
Nearly 89 percent of Oklahoma Gas and Electric customers who lost electrical power during the weekend tornadoes that killed four persons and injured dozens of others had power restored as of mid-day Monday. OG&E reported that 5,400 customers were still without power while about 1,200 personnel worked to restore electricity to the cities and …
Tesla makes more layoffs while building a new $4 billion battery plant in Kansas
(Mike Wooldridge) Two years after Oklahoma lost the bidding war with Kansas for a $4 billion Panasonic EV battery plant, construction remains underway even though the company to be supplied with batteries is making layoffs nationally. Ground was broken in the summer of 2022 on the plant where eventually 4,000 employees will make electric vehicle …
OKC’s annual waste collection totaled 250,000 pounds
Six hundred and forty-five Oklahoma City residents dropped off 250,612 pounds of ammunition, medications, computers and tires during the City’s annual Special Collection event held on April 6 at the OKC Fairgrounds. Residents delivered 227,268 pounds of tires, 22,000 pounds of computers, 600 pounds of ammunition and set a new record of 744 pounds …
Devon Energy doesn’t see changes in challenges from Biden administration’s stricter environmental regulations
Nearly every major oil and gas company in the U.S. is keenly aware of the challenges thrown on its by the Biden administration’s anti-oil and gas regulations. Take Devon Energy for instance. In a recent filing of an annual Form 10-K report to security holders with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Oklahoma City …
Landowners ROFR bill sent to Governor Stitt
The Oklahoma legislature sent a ROFR or Right of First Refusal bill to Governor Kevin Stitt in the past week…but not a ROFR bill dealing with utilities and their large transmission line projects. Instead, HB3159, authored by Oklahoma City Rep. Eric Roberts, focuses on giving landowners the right of first refusal in sales of land …
New Mexico hits Austin oil company with nearly $25 million penalty over flaring
The state of New Mexico came down hard this week on oil and gas company Ameredev II,LLC, fining the firm $24.5 million over alleged violations of state air regulations—namely unlicensed flaring. “Let this serve as a wake-up call to the oil and gas industry – the Environment Department is using remote sensing technology, …