Author's posts
Oil and gas rig numbers held steady in Oklahoma and US
The latest Baker Hughes Rig Count showed no growth or loss in the number of rigs across the U.S. and in Oklahoma. The Friday report indicated the nation’s count was unchanged at 589 from a week ago. The number of oil rigs remained at 482 while the number of gas rigs increased by one …
Feds’ effort collapses to build regional transmission line across Oklahoma
The U.S. Energy Department confirmed Friday to OK Energy Today that a controversial regional transmission line proposed for northern Oklahoma will not occur. Efforts collapsed somewhere in the line of decision-making in Washington, D.C. The decision was revealed in a statement from DOE spokeswoman Kristen Nawoj in the DOE’s Grid Deployment Office. “DOE can …
Another regional transmission corridor runs into opposition in New Mexico
The federal government’s intentions to build large regional transmission lines throughout the U.S., including northern Oklahoma, ran into another wall of opposition. This time, in New Mexico. The state recently adopted an executive order to protect the land that the federal government wants to use to power the nuclear weapons program at the Los …
Rep. Lucas reportedly loses bid to be Chair of House Financial Services Committee
Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas apparently will not be the top Republican on the House Financial Services Committee that oversees Wall Street, the Federal Reserve and cryptocurrency. The committee’s actions regarding banks and other financial institutions affect funding for the energy industry. Even though Rep. Lucas is the longest serving Republican on the Committee, Arkansas …
Energy briefs
** California advocates say a state law aimed at phasing out diesel trucks has failed to reduce pollution in communities near the Port of Los Angeles. ** Nevada advocates file a lawsuit seeking to force federal land agencies to protect the Old Spanish Trail from utility-scale solar projects, mining and other development. ** A Michigan House panel approves a $50 …
Kansas is doing more than talk about growing depletion of Ogallala Aquifer
The Ogallala Aquifer which stretches from Nebraska to the Panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas is getting more attention over the depletion of its lifeblood for farmers and ranchers. And it’s not casual attention. This time, it is the state of Kansas where it wants more restrictions on the part of the groundwater management districts …
Oil and gas industry still in Biden administration sights in its final days
The Biden administration made it clear this week where it stands over the issue of local governments and their ability to sue oil companies over climate change, even as it prepares to turn things over to President-elect Trump. And it’s not with the oil and gas industry, the group that Joe Biden put in …
Crude oil prices receded on Thursday
Crude oil prices slipped into negative arenas on Thursday after the International Energy Agency raised its oil demand growth forecast for 2025. Other possible affects were caused by a slight increase in US inflation for November and a jump in China crude imports in November compared to a year earlier. West Texas Intermediate crude …
AG joins Governor and Speaker-elect in fighting government transmission projects
The Southwest Power Pool and the U.S. Department of Energy just received another warning shot across their bows. The first came this week from Gov. Kevin Stitt when he suggested “unplugging” from the SPP because of its regional electrical transmission lines proposed across the state. He vowed to fight any use of eminent domain to …
Speaker elect fights regional transmission proposal called a “federal land grab”
Oklahoma House Speaker-Elect Kyle Hilbert filed House Concurrent Resolution 1001 Thursday, which vows to take all legislative action available to prevent the establishment of an eighteen-mile wide federal energy corridor in Oklahoma. Coming just a day after Gov. Kevin Stitt indicated in an interview that he was considering “unplugging” from the Southwest Power Pool and …