** President Donald Trump on Monday indicated that he wants to reach an agreement with Ukraine to gain access to the country’s rare earth materials as a condition for continuing U.S. support for its war against Russia. ** Colombian energy company Ecopetrol is renewing its oil joint venture with U.S. firm Occidental Petroleum in the Permian …
Category: Solar Energy in Oklahoma
Energy briefs
** The ongoing conflict between oil giant Exxon and environmental groups has escalated amid a new lawsuit against California’s attorney general. Exxon Mobil has sued Attorney General Rob Bonta as well as environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, for allegedly conspiring to defame and hinder the company’s business, per reports by the New York Times. ** Crescent …
State legislators return to the capitol
The start of the new session of the 60th Oklahoma legislature promises to build excitement at the State Capitol on Monday. And maybe a little skepticism. More than 40 years ago, legislators were piqued about a poster that hung in the former broadcast press room of the capitol, featuring brightly colored clowns and highlighted …
Energy briefs
** Executives from a dozen U.S. power companies urge the Trump administration to roll back federal regulations on coal ash disposal and rescind recent enforcement action. ** Artificial intelligence companies pair with a Japanese investment firm to announce a sprawling data center complex with a 200 MW substation in Texas, which will be the first part of …
Why some landowners object to the Cimarron Link
As we’ve noted, the opposition to the Cimarron Link transmission line isn’t going quietly into the night. Landowners are speaking out about the efforts of Invenergy to construct the line from the Oklahoma Panhandle to near Tulsa. The opposition was recently highlighted by KOSU public radio in Stillwater. Click here for KOSU
Energy briefs
** Energy Fuels Inc. reached an agreement with the Navajo Nation to resume transport of uranium ore on the nation’s territory after a six-month standoff that halted production at the company’s Arizona mine. ** Chevron Corp., investor Engine No. 1 and GE Vernova Inc. formed a partnership to develop natural gas-fired power plants next to …
Speaker’s anti-energy corridor resolution raises a big question
When the Oklahoma legislature goes into session on Monday, one of the measures it will consider is House Speaker Kyle Hilbert’s proposal to fight any proposed energy transmission corridor in the state. Unanswered is whether the Speaker’s plan is to oppose an ongoing transmission project supported by Invenergy. Hilbert originally filed HCR1001 when word …
Legislator makes another attempt to control competitive bidding on electric transmission projects
State Rep. Trey Caldwell is making a third attempt to create what he says is not a ROFR or Right of First Refusal bill in the legislature. Three of the measures he filed for the approaching legislative session are HB2747, HB 2751 and HB2756. The three focus on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, competitive bidding, …
Energy briefs
** U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signs an order seeking to roll back fuel economy standards enacted by President Biden, arguing that “artificially high” fuel efficiency rules raise costs for consumers. ** Vermont is the latest state to impose a fee on owners of electric vehicles to make up for lost gas tax revenue, an approach that has …
ODOT’s EV charging network on hold after Trump’s freeze order
A freeze on federal grants and loans ordered by President Donald Trump’s budget office has Oklahoma leaders wondering about the impact. So has an earlier order affecting green energy project funding created by the Biden administration. Electric vehicle charging networks could be affected and some states aren’t sure if they will receive continued funding …