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Kansas Regulators Asked to Reconsider Denial of Great Plains Energy’s Purchase of Westar Energy
Two big energy companies in Kansas denied a merger by the Kansas Corporation Commission filed a Petition for Reconsideration on Thursday. Great Plains Energy and Westar Energy announced Thursday the petition had been filed after the KCC issued an order April 19 denying Great Plains Energy’s purchase of Westar. The two firms are asking the …
Oklahoma Trespassing Laws Beefed Up Against Protesters
A bill born partially out of protests by environmentalists against oil and natural gas pipelines in North Dakota has been signed into law by Gov. Mary Fallin. House Bill 1123, authored by Rep. Scott Biggs, R-Chickasha, creates a new misdemeanor level and two new felony levels for trespassing. “This law isn’t about lost hunters or …
No New Wind Farms Built in Oklahoma in 1st Q of 2017….But Kansas Saw Significant Growth
Kansas grabbed a lot of the headlines in this week’s release of the first quarter 2017 Market report from the American Wind Energy Association. The report showed Kansas finished behind only Texas in new wind installations during the quarter. Nearly 500 MW of new in-state capacity came online and the state will soon top 5,000 …
Governor Says Gross Production Tax Hike is On the Table Along With Other Ideas
“The fact is, you cannot lock up votes and say ‘unless you give me 100% of everything I want, I’m gonna take my toys and go home’, you just can’t do that.” It’s how Gov. Mary Fallin describes the growing battle between Republicans and Democrats in the legislature over how to resolve the state’s …
Historic Oil and Gas Pieces Lost in Weekend Storm at State History Center
Those 75-mile-an hour winds that hit Oklahoma City over the weekend devastated some oil and gas historical items located at the Oklahoma History Center. Among the losses…a restored wooden derrick and a derrick installed at the Capitol in 1934 and relocated just 12 years ago when the new history center opened. “What we’re doing right …
House Democrats Say It’s Time Republicans Stopped Protecting Wealthy Oil and Gas Industry
It might not be the kind of ‘line drawn in the sand’ by President Obama a few years ago, but one has been drawn by Democrats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives in what has become a growing war over taxes on the oil and gas industry. “The message is this—-it’s time to come …
Texas Group Challenges EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Findings—-Says Obama Administration Didn’t Follow the Law
A petition has been filed with the EPA by the Texas Public Policy Foundation challenging the agency’s 2009 endangerment finding that designated man-made greenhouse gas emissions as a danger to human health and welfare. “The EPA endangerment finding represents abuse of the EPA regulatory process under the Obama Administration, rather than objective, science-based action,” said …
Pruitt—-Administration is Not Turning Its Back on Clean Environment
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt says critics of President Trump’s executive order declaring an end to President Obama’s “war on coal” have it wrong. Writing this week in the Washington Times, the former Oklahoma Attorney General stated the Trump administration is not turning its back on a clean environment and regulation altogether. He said the “war …
Current Economic Recovery Won’t Help This Year’s Legislature
As Oklahoma City University economist Dr. Russell Evans looks at Oklahoma’s economy and how this year, the legislature is strapped with a financial crisis, he believes next year will be a far different story. He predicts the economic recovery is already underway in the state, one led by the oil and gas industry improvements. “The …
Oklahoma Energy Index Moves Higher Again
With increased employment in the oil and gas sector in the state, the Oklahoma Energy Index has moved higher marking the eighth month i the last 10 that industry activity has grown. “The industry improvement shown in eight of the last 10 months is a sign for optimism,” said Chris Mostek, senior vice president of …