Federal grants worth $3 billion will be awarded to 25 battery-making operations in 14 states. The list of states hasn’t been released yet. Reuters is reporting the Biden administration wants to shift the battery supply chain away from China. The grants should drive increased domestic production of advanced batteries and battery materials. The money will …
September 2024 archive
Ethics questions are raised about a southeast Oklahoma solar project and a state legislator
Questions are being raised about the ethics of State Rep. Justin Humphrey and his profiting from a proposed huge solar farm in southeast Oklahoma. The 5,000-acre solar project is proposed by Orested, a Denmark company. Click here for KOSU Radio
Oklahoma City Ranks 2nd In Nation For New Hires
Researchers at ADP rank Oklahoma City second in the nation for the number of new hires. The Oklahoman reports the higher-than-average hiring rates and pay growths balance out the region’s low starting salaries. The same report finds the local unemployment rate well below the national rate of 4.2%. Oklahoma County checks in at 3.4%. Oklahoma …
Biden Climate Adviser Podesta Hails Increasing Domestic Gas Output
The president’s senior climate advisor is praising the country’s increasing domestic gas output. Rigzone.com notes the surprising supportive statement from John Podesta. The US is now the world’s top oil producer, pumping half-again as much crude as Saudi Arabia. Podesta says, “That’s good for the American consumer and good for national security.” Podesta made the …
Court approves Mammoth’s settlement with Puerto Rico over 2017 hurricane payments
Oklahoma City’s Mammoth Energy Services Inc. says a Title III Court judge has approved a settlement agreement the company reached regarding a fight over delayed payments from Puerto Rico for the firm’s power restoration work following 2017 Hurricane Maria. The settlement was with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and won approval …
Williams Cos. gift to support Engineering, Energy and Business at OU
(Williams President and CEO Alan Armstrong meets with University of Oklahoma summer interns and Williams employees in the rotational program who graduated from OU.) The University of Oklahoma announced that a significant gift from Williams will allow the university to grow student support and mentorship programs, as well as degree offerings across multiple …
The spectre of armed EPA agents targeting small businesses and car owners
The auto website known as TheAutoWire.com raised some recent questions about to what extent the Environmental Protection Agency, working in force with the Justice Department, might go in targeting those with so-called “emissions defeat devices.” It pointed out that the latest target of the EPA’s endeavours was Rudy’s Performance Parts which was hit with …
Crude prices dipped Friday but finished with a gain for the week
Crude oil prices ended up lower on Friday, but still managed a second straight week of price gains. Prices were helped by the interest rate cut announced by the Feds, plus a drop in the U.S. crude stocks. Both Brent and WTI finished up more than 4% for the week. West Texas Intermediate crude …
US Senate passes Lankford’s bill aimed against Red China’s critical minerals
The U.S. Senate passed legislation authored by Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Mitt Romney (R-UT) to reduce American reliance on China and other adversarial nations for critical minerals. “The United States should not depend on communist China to keep our critical mineral supply chain running. Relying on China for critical minerals means relying on …
Environmental, ecological, cultural issues at stake in SEOPC decision
The proposed Kiamichi River hydroelectric project not only is opposed by a growing number of southeast Oklahoma residents and organizations, but questions have been raised about environmental concerns. Here is our latest installment of a series of stories by Southwest Ledger reporter Mike Ray. By Mike W. Ray Southwest Ledger Multiple …