Author's posts
State Geological Survey Director Has Hopes of State-owned Earthquake Monitoring Equipment
The Director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey, Dr. Jeremy Boak isn’t optimistic about getting state legislative funding to finish a project of acquiring seismometers to monitor state earthquakes linked to oil and gas operations. It’s what he told OK Energy Today in an interview after speaking Thursday at a state convention of the Oklahoma …
Wastewater Bill Approved in State House
Another measure targeting oil and gas wastewater and injection wells won approval this week in the State House. Senate Bill 287 focuses on the jurisdictional areas of responsibility for each state environmental agency and the agencies with limited environmental responsibility. Rep. Weldon Watson of Tulsa explained the measure allows the Department of Environmental Quality to …
Weather Act by Bridenstine and Lucas Signed into Law
After four years of attempting to get Congress to pass his Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act, Rep. Jim Bridenstine is successful. President Trump signed the measure into law this week. Actually, it was the Lucas-Bridenstine Act because Rep. Frank Lucas was also a sponsor of the measure first introduced in 2013. But it was …
Legal Wind Storms Hit NextEra Energy in Oklahoma and Texas
Florida-based NextEra Energy is used to wind. It likes wind to run its wind farms. But lately, it’s running into the kind of wind storms it doesn’t want. While battling lawsuits over its proposed wind farms in western Oklahoma, NextEra Energy is also hoping to get court approval to buy Oncor, the largest regulated electric …
State House Approves Large Tire Fees for Recycling Fund
A bill adding to the cost of trashing old tractor and large-truck tires has won approval in the Oklahoma House. Senate Bill 426 was passed on a 67-25 vote this week as Rep. John Pfeiffer of Orlando pushed the measure to make changes in Oklahoma’s Used Tire Recycling Indemnity Fund. He explained it will allow …
Pruitt to Visit Missouri Coal-Fired Power Plant as Part of Coal Tour
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s heading to Missouri with his “Back-to-Basics” tour, visiting a coal-fired power plant on Thursday. His visit to the Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. Thomas Hill Energy Center near Moberly will come a week after he went to a Pennsylvania coal mine and declared the war on coal was done. Missouri U.S. Sen. Roy …
Filing Deadline in 26-year old Bribed Corporation Commission Vote Challenge
Wednesday is the deadline for filings in the $16 billion dollar lawsuit filed by six consumers who contend a 1989 rate request approved for Southwestern Bell Telephone company was tainted by a bribed Corporation Commission vote more than a quarter of a century ago. The six filed an appeal with the State Supreme Court last …
EPA Rewriting WOTUS With Help of Former Asst Oklahoma AG
She went from being an Assistant Attorney General out of law school in Oklahoma to now being in charge of the EPA’s rewrite of the Waters of the U.S. regulation. Sarah Greenwalt is in charge of the massive project after Scott Pruitt took her and a few other Oklahomans with him to Washington to run …
Wind Operator Attempts to Get Lawsuit Dismissed from Federal Court
While attorneys for NextEra Energy Resources prepare to defend their lawsuit against the city of Hinton next month, they are busy attempting to get another lawsuit dismissed in Oklahoma City federal court. They’ve submitted a motion to have the lawsuit filed by the Scenic Prairie Preservation Association dismissed. The Association sued NextEra, the largest wind …
Congressman Mullin Still Unsure About Re-Election Bid
Whether Oklahoma U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin might seek a fourth term in the House is apparently up in the air. But as the Tulsa World reported this week, one thing is clear and that is Mullin has filed a Declaration of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. But Mullin’s chief of staff Mike Stopp was …