Crude oil prices shot up $1.60 a barrel on Tuesday following word of the temporary cut in the U.S. and China tariffs. Plus, there was a better-than-expected inflation report. The Labor Department reported the Consumer Price Index rose 2.3% in the 12 months through April. Also, Oklahoma energy stocks had a strong day with …
May 13, 2025 archive
Consumer groups pressure Gov. Stitt to veto SB998
Two consumer groups joined forces in a recent effort to convince Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt to veto a bill that would allow utilities to charge customers while electric projects are under construction. “This bill would shift unnecessary financial risk onto Oklahoma’s ratepayers while undermining the constitutional authority of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, wrote leaders …
Evergy announces delay of closing its coal plants
Evergy, the big Kansas City-based energy company, is drawing criticism for delaying the retirement of its coal plants, a move that environmentalists say will increased methane gas generation. A report by the Energy and Policy Institute said the utility’s move raises questions about its ability to meet a pledge to reach net-zero emissions …
Muskogee Lithium refinery operator achieves another advancement
Stardust Power Inc., an American developer of battery-grade lithium products, announced a significant update to its permitting process. Following a determination process by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ), the Company has confirmed that no industrial wastewater discharge permit will be required for its planned lithium processing facility in Muskogee, Oklahoma. This determination …
First the hot weather—then storms
Summer temperatures in May? It’s what we can expect Wednesday in Oklahoma. “Wednesday still looks like the hottest day, before we get a cool front in here and cool down for Thursday,” wrote Gary McManus, Oklahoma Mesonet Climatologist. Storms are also in the weekend forecast.
Iowa legislature sends bill to governor to restrict eminent domain
(a legislator hugs activist Kathy Stockdale–Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) After four years of intense debate and legislative fighting, a bill was passed this week by the Iowa legislature to pull the reins in on carbon sequestration pipelines and the ability of operators to use eminent domain. It could be another stumbling block …
Energy briefs
** Utility player NRG Energy will pay nearly $10 billion for 18 natural gas-fired power plants from LS Power in a move designed to prepare NRG for a domestic power market that’s set to soar. ** A bill to lift Illinois’ 40-year moratorium on new large nuclear energy plants has stalled recently as Senate lawmakers work …
Look for US electricity consumption to grow beyond 2024’s all-time high
A new government report says the amount of electricity used in the U.S. will grow this year and in 2026 and beat the all-time high reached in 2024. The prediction, made in the Short-Term Energy Outlook from the U.S .Energy Information Administration contrasts with the trend of relatively flat electricity demand between the mid-2000s …
Williams to create another gas pipeline extension in Virginia
The decision by Williams Companies to construct another pipeline expansion in Virginia has grabbed local headlines there. As explained by Williams President and CEO Alan Armstrong during the Tulsa-based company’s quarterly earnings call, the Transco line expansion will serve “the power-hungry Virginia market.” He referred to the growth of data centers throughout the …
Vital Energy releases 1Q earnings report with surprise earnings
Vital Energy’s first-quarter 2025 financial and operating results included a surprise as its $2.37 earnings per share beat the $2.11 per share estimate given by analysts. It beat the $1.91 in earnings per share the Tulsa company had a year ago. As a result, Vital’s earnings were up 12.32%. The firm reported a net loss …
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