** The Keystone oil pipeline ruptured Tuesday morning in North Dakota, with the spill confined to an agricultural field. An employee working at the site near Fort Ransom heard a “mechanical bang” and shut down the pipeline within about two minutes, said Bill Suess, spill investigation program manager with the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. …
Category: Solar Energy in Oklahoma
The fight against eminent domain in farm and ranch states
The fight by some Oklahoma landowners against transmission corridors and the spread of wind and solar farms includes opposition to the use of eminent domain. Other states are facing the same battles, including South Dakota where Summit Carbon Solutions sued more than 200 farmers and landowners for a $9 billion carbon capture pipeline …
Energy briefs
** President Trump is expected to sign executive orders this week supporting the coal industry, including using emergency powers to force some coal plants slated for closure to stay open. ** One person was injured after a “well control incident” at a Chevron oil and gas facility northeast of Greeley, Colorado that prompted evacuations and …
Senate Energy Committee to meet Wednesday morning
From a nuclear power study to water rights, they are among topics targeted by bills to be considered Wednesday by the Oklahoma Senate Energy Committee. The agenda includes the following: AGENDA: HB1031 By Kendrix of the House and Bergstrom of the Senate Sunset; Oklahoma Energy Resources Board; extending sunset year. HB1157 By Cornwell of the House …
SPP grid leader concerned about growing electricity demand
The leader of the Southwest Power Pool grid is worried about the ability of the grid to meet the growing electricity demand and in a recent event said he anticipates a decline in excess power in the new few years. The comments are those of Lanny Nickell, SPP President CEO of the grid that …
Austin solar firm gladly welcomes Trump’s tariffs
One energy company that anticipates benefits from President Trump’s controversial worldwide tariffs is a solar firm based in Austin, Texas. T1 Energy Inc. came out and said it supports the tariffs, explaining they align with the company’s strategy to establish a vertically integrated U.S. solar plus storage supply chain. With T1’s operating 5 GW …
Major solar manufacturer gives “boost” to Texas solar industry
Solar energy supporters are calling the opening of a 1.6-gigawatt solar module factory in Texas a “major boost” for the state. But the boost could eventually be much more if the company follows through on its growth plans. Waaree Solar Americas, a subdivision of Indian conglomerate Waaree Energies started producted in January in Brookshire …
Energy briefs
** Liberty Energy Inc., the company previously run by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright plans to release its financial results for the first quarter after the market closes on Wednesday, April 16. ** The battle over whether California should build a $20-billion water tunnel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is escalating, with Gov. Gavin …
Other states also see activism against renewable energy projects
The movement against renewable energy projects across Oklahoma is also seen in other states in the region. As Canary Media reports, similar efforts are underway in Texas. Click here for Canary Media
Nebraska county votes for solar farm setback regulations
Solar and wind farm setbacks being debated in the Oklahoma legislature are similar to other arguments around the Midwest. One such event took place in Nebraska. Three years after a Nebraska County initiated discussions for rules and regulations for the siting of solar farms, its commissioners voted to create one-half mile setback requirements for …
