September 16, 2024 archive

Scott Mitchell talks energy with Jerry Bohnen—rate hikes and latest on Todd Hiett scandal

  This week, on the Scott Mitchell Talks Energy with Jerry Bohnen, we discuss the confluence of utility rate hikes and intensified political scrutiny by Republican House members on the Corporation Commission’s handling of the Todd Hiett controversy, creating a perfect storm.

OGE workers return home after assisting with hurricane damage in Louisiana

  OG&E’s team of 150 linemen and support staff returned home safely after a five-day deployment to assist with power restoration efforts in Louisiana. Line workers restored power for more than 15,000 Entergy Louisiana customers in several parishes in Louisiana including Ascension, Iberville, St. James, and Livingston after Hurricane Francine caused significant damage to the area. The …

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Lingering impact of Hurricane Francine sent crude oil prices upward on Monday

The continued impact of Hurricane Francine on Gulf oil output sent crude oil prices climbing on Monday. Reports indicated at least 12% of crude production and 16% of natural gas output in the Gulf of Mexico was still offline because of the storm that hit the southern states last Wednesday. West Texas Intermediate crude futures …

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Damaged Oklahoma bridges to be repaired

  Damaged highway bridges had the attention of Oklahoma Transportation Commissioners at their recent meeting. They were updated by Transportation Department Executive Director Tim Gatz on a recent bridge hit to the Randall Ave. bridge over I-40 in Elk City. An over-height vehicle carrying an excavator hit the bridge on August 17 resulting in several damaged …

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Fight underway to strip FERC of condemnation power for national transmission corridors

    A plan in Congress to prevent the federal government from taking control of private property to develop a national electric transmission corridor has the support of four Republicans in the Kansas congressional delegation. U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall and U.S. Reps. Tracey Mann and Ron Estes voiced their support of a …

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ONEOK to put final touches on $1.25 billion in sale of notes

    ONEOK signs off on the sale of $1.25 billion in notes and plans to use the proceeds to pay for its recent acquisitions. The Tulsa-based company announced Monday that on September 10, 2024, ONEOK, Inc., ONEOK Partners, L.P. , ONEOK Partners Intermediate Limited Partnership  and Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P.  entered into an underwriting …

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Arkansas trucking firm first to test new renewable gas engine

  The Arkansas-based J-B Hunt trucking firm has become the first big transportation company to take part in tests involving a new renewable natural gas engine produced by Clean Energy Fuels Corp of California. Clean Energy announced the launching of a program to allow heavy-duty fleets to operate a truck equipped with the new Cummins …

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Corporation Commissioner supports move of legislators against Todd Hiett

The effort of three Republican state Representatives to have the Oklahoma Supreme Court disqualify Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett from cases involving ONG, OG&E and PSO echoed a similar move weeks ago by another Commissioner. Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony called on Commissioner Hiett to either resign or disqualify himself from some of the cases involved, but …

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Three legislators ask State Supreme Court to disqualify Corporation Commissioner Hiett in PSO, ONG and OGE cases

    Embattled Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett, the regulator accused of public drunkenness and attempting to grope a man at a public bar, was hit with an attempt by three legislators before the Supreme Court to stop him from participating in cases involving some major utilities. State Reps. Tom Gann of Inola, Kevin West …

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Energy briefs

** Arkansas has no wind farms, but at least three are in the construction or planning stages. They include two in the Delta — Crossover Wind near Wynne in Cross County and Long Grain Wind near Marion in Crittenden County — and one in the Ozarks, the Nimbus project near Green Forest… ** Energy companies …

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