As Oklahoma legislators create more restrictive regulations on wind and solar development, Texas legislators are considering regulations giving the state greater industry oversight. According to the Texas Tribune, Senate Bill 819, by state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, would implement new administrative rules, impose fees and require the Texas Public Utility Commission to approve wind …
April 2025 archive
Arkansas legislators approve bill regulating wind farms
A bill to regulate wind energy development in Arkansas won approval this week in the Arkansas state Senate. Senate Bill 437 would create the Arkansas Wind Energy Development Act and what are described as significant restrictions for wind turbines. However, it also includes exemptions for areas “below 300 feet in elevation” which would exempt …
Stardust Power brings on board economic advisor for Muskogee lithium development
Stardust Power Inc., the Connecticut company developing a lithium refinery in Muskogee has named a Senior Advisor to help with guiding the company through its critical next stages including fundraising. The firm named Carlos Urquiaga who will report directly to Stardust Power founder and CEO Roshan Pujari. He is said to be a highly …
Bice energy bills working their way through Congress
Oklahoma Congresswoman Stephanie Bice tells voters she is all about “Restoring and protecting American energy dominance.” It’s what she declared in a recent flyer sent to constituents in her U.S. House District. She’s promoting the cutting of permitting red tape, the clearing the way for American energy infrastructure, the reversing of failed green New …
Energy briefs
** The Keystone oil pipeline ruptured Tuesday morning in North Dakota, with the spill confined to an agricultural field. An employee working at the site near Fort Ransom heard a “mechanical bang” and shut down the pipeline within about two minutes, said Bill Suess, spill investigation program manager with the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. …
SPP leader spreads the word about growing electrical needs
Echoing what Southwest Power Pool President Lanny Nickell recently warned about the ability to meet growing electricity demands, largely due to the swelling data center industry, others expressed the same concerns at a recent meeting of regulators in Colorado. About 75 electric transmission industry officials gathered last week in Colorado Springs at a meeting …
$1 billion data center to be located in Arkansas
The rapid growth of data centers across the U.S. has electric grid operators concerned about the ability to meet the expanding demand for electrical power. One of the latest planned data centers will be in Conway, Arkansas where the city council approved a memorandum of understanding this week with an unnamed Fortune 100 company. …
The fight against eminent domain in farm and ranch states
The fight by some Oklahoma landowners against transmission corridors and the spread of wind and solar farms includes opposition to the use of eminent domain. Other states are facing the same battles, including South Dakota where Summit Carbon Solutions sued more than 200 farmers and landowners for a $9 billion carbon capture pipeline …
President’s latest executive order promotes coal mining
With flourish of a pen, President Donald Trump signed an executive order at the White House Tuesday afternoon, one aiming to boost U.S. coal mining. The action came as reports indicated the use of coal had dropped in the U.S. in the past few decades. But the President’s order defines coal as “mineral” which will …
Tariff fight hits Oklahoma energy stocks hard again as crude drops below $60
The growing issue of worldwide tariffs continued taking its toll on Oklahoma energy stocks as most suffered more losses in Tuesday’s trading. Just as U.S. crude oil futures fell below $60 a barrel in the U.S., so did Oklahoma energy trading including Mammoth Energy with the biggest percentage drop at nearly 13%. Vital Energy scored …
