May 2025 archive

Legislator disappointed over some wind and solar bills

Elected to the State House on his opposition to wind and solar farm expansion in Lincoln County, Chandler Rep. Jim Shaw says the end of the legislative session, his first year in office, was “disappointing and very eye opening.” In a statement following Friday’s sine die declaration, the Republican Representative also said he found the …

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Status of some energy bills in Congress

    Several bills dealing with energy issues in the U.S. are moving slowly through Congress. Below are some of them and where they stand. – US HR 3616 To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to review regulations that may affect the reliable operation of the bulk-power system. — Last action: May 29, 2025, House: Referred to the …

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Scott Mitchell talks energy with Jerry Bohnen—why OGE reversed a rate hike request

  A walk-back by utilities for rate hikes, the Energy Secretary’s review of the completed legislative session and more as Scott Mitchell talks energy with Jerry Bohnen. Plus, Oklahoma regulators delay again their decision on Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s request to buy the Green Country power plant, and the state awaits the governor’s decision …

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Osage Minerals Council wins another federal court ruling

      First came a federal court ruling upholding the Osage Minerals Council lengthy fight over a wind farm and now the Council has scored another ruling in favor of the tribal group in northern Oklahoma. The tribe found itself in a 10-year legal fight in which it challenged the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ …

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Transportation commissioners to get update on Red River and Lake Texoma flood damage

  Oklahoma Transportation Commissioners will get an update Monday morning on recent flood damage at Lake Texoma and the Red River in southern Oklahoma. Commissioners meet at 11 a.m. in Oklahoma City and will be briefed on a number of issues, including to the U.S.-70 Roosevelt Bridge causeway at Lake Texoma. They will consider awarding …

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Crude oil prices finished down on Friday

  Crude oil futures closed the week of trading on Friday with moderate losses as traders anticipated a weekend decision by OPEC+ whether it would boost oil output for July. Weekly losses were expected to be about 1%. Brent crude, the global benchmark, finished down 25 cents or 0.39% to $63.90 a barrel. The US …

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Energy briefs

**  Washington, D.C. spent $200 million on a two-mile light rail route in downtown DC and now they’re tearing it up. After less than a decade of operation, the D.C. Streetcar is set to be phased out and replaced by an electric bus that Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) called a “next generation streetcar” when …

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Texas legislative efforts fail to curtail wind and solar development

  The efforts of some legislators in Texas to rein in the state’s wind and solar industry are dead after several of their bills missed a deadline in the state House before Monday’s end of the legislative session. One of the bills would have put strict limits on where wind and solar farms could be …

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Future of proposed solar farm to be decided soon by Wagoner County Commissioners

  Wagoner County residents will soon learn whether their county commissioners will support a proposed controversial solar farm near the town of Porter. The Nextera Energy Resources project, named “Persica” would cover nearly 1,500 acres in farmland and some residents are fighting it. The June 16 vote by county commissioners will be on a permit …

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OGE backs out of rate review request of regulators

    Only a week after Oklahoma Gas and Electric informed Corporation Commissioners it intended to file a rate hike request, it has withdrawn the request and attributes the summer implementation of a new law created by SB998. The utility notified OK Energy Today on Thursday it had withdrawn the previous filing thereby delaying an …

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