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North Dakota Legislators Back Away from Wind vs. Coal Study
While the Oklahoma legislature’s moving ahead with reducing tax credits for the wind industry, North Dakota state legislators have decided to kill a long-term energy study that pitted the wind-energy industry against the coal industry. The North Dakota State House voted this week against such a study as proposed in the State Senate. Those behind …
Nuclear Waste Site Battle Brewing in Texas
Quite a fight over nuclear waste is brewing in Texas. As the Dallas Morning News reports, it’s about an application by a firm to store nuclear waste in west Texas. Waste Control Specialists is the company that wants to store the waste in Andrews County located about five hours drive west of Dallas. But it’s …
Pruitt Gets Advice at EPA……..Inhofe’s Frustrated Over Lack of Help for Pruitt
What Politico’s Morning Energy Report is saying about two Oklahomans. “A retiring veteran climate change specialist has sent EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt a letter warning him of a sea change in agency morale and suggesting he needs to provide better reasons for changing course on policy if he wants the support of the …
Energy Battle is Set….Small Producers Challenge Oil Giants
A rally is planned Wednesday at the State Capitol by a newly-formed group called the Oklahoma Energy Producers Alliance. It’s a group of small oil and natural gas producers who are calling on the legislature to restore the gross production tax from 2% to 7% on all oil and natural gas. And they are taking …
New York Firm to Begin Drilling Exploration Wells in Osage County
Drilling is expected to start this week on four exploration wells in Osage County by the New York-based Petro River Oil Corp. The company made the announcement, stating its core strategy is to drill vertical wells in relatively shallow conventional legacy reservoirs using modern 3D seismic surveys. Petro River has acquired 106,000 acres in Osage …
Slight Increase in Oklahoma Gasoline Prices
Gasoline prices rose several cents a gallon in the past week in Oklahoma, resulting in a statewide average of $2.10 a gallon, still low enough to rank in the top ten lowest states in the country, according to Oklahoma AAA. The new average is three cents lower in the past month. The organization reports gasoline …
Judge Throws out $4 million Fracking Contamination Verdict
After winning a more than $4 million verdict in a fight over water pollution allegedly caused by natural gas fracking in Pennsylvania, two families find themselves with nothing but a new trial. A Pennsylvania federal judge has thrown out the $4.24 million verdict against Houston-based Cabot Oil and Gas Corporation, one of the largest natural …
Pruitt “Eaten Alive” in Interview on Fox News?
Judging by the headlines, Sunday wasn’t a particularly good day for Scott Pruitt, now the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. His appearance on Fox News with Chris Wallace didn’t turn out to be a good performance when it came to pollution and stripping the EPA of Obama-administration-created rules and regulations. “Fox News’ Chris …
State Capitol Lobby Day Planned by Sierra Club
The Oklahoma Chapter of the Sierra Club is planning a lobby day tomorrow to encourage state legislators to do more to promote solar energy. In an email invitation, chapter president Johnson Bridgwater said a presentation will be held Wednesday afternoon from 1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. in the “Blue Room” of the capitol. Afterward, Sierra …
Energy Workers in the Panhandle—-Snow is in Tuesday’s Forecast
Snow in April in Oklahoma? It’s what the Oklahoma Mesonet is indicating—at least in the far western reaches of the state’s Panhandle. State Climatologist Gary McManus asks the question, “SNOW??? Yes, there will be a pretty decent chance of snow across the western Panhandle. We’re not talking a blizzard here, but snow in April is …