** Texas Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright and challenger Bo French will head to a runoff election, unofficial election results showed Tuesday, as neither could break through the required majority to secure the nomination. The winner will face a Democrat in November. ** On Tuesday, five organizations filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s approval of an …
Category: EPA
Energy briefs
** Crude oil prices are at their highest levels since the military campaign against Iran after climbing again overnight and this morning. The Energy and Treasury Departments will begin rolling out new efforts today to address energy price increases from the Iran conflict, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. ** AES Corp.’s share price dropped …
Another poultry firm settles with Oklahoma over pollution
A fourth poultry company has agreed to end a nearly 20-year old legal fight with Oklahoma over the pollution of the Illinois River Watershed. Attorney General Gentner Drummond reached a deal with Peterson Farms Inc., a now dissolved poultry company, It agreed to pay $950,000 for remediation and conservation projects in the eastern part …
Final permitting granted for Fermi’s big energy project at Amarillo
Fermi gets final state nod to begin large power grid project in Texas Panhandle Texas authorities have given the permitting for what is described as the world’s largest 11-gigawatt private power grid at Amarillo. Fermi America, the project led in part by former Texas Governor and U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry, won a six-gigawatt Clean …
Energy Briefs: Data centers, DOE loan, rare earths
Ratepayer protection pledge and data center power demand ** Tech execs are expected at the White House next week to sign what President Trump called a “ratepayer protection pledge” during Tuesday’s State of the Union. ** Goldman Sachs, in an updated analysis, sees 220% growth in data center power demand between 2023 and 2030, up …
Scott Mitchell talks energy with Jerry Bohnen—behind the meter and the State of the Union
https://www.facebook.com/reel/24604264572605533 A State of the Union announcement on data centers and large load customers—-was it a copy of what Oklahoma did last year? It was one of the things talked about as Scott Mitchell talks energy with Jerry Bohnen. Plus, how the state legislature wants to close certain Corporation Commission books and records to the …
Energy Briefs: NEPA rollback, coal, data centers
Interior Department Completes NEPA Rollback The Interior Department says it’s completed a major rollback of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations that will help speed energy, mining, and other projects. Power Plant Retirements Total 11 GW Power plant owners plan to retire 11 GW of utility-scale power generation this year, most of it from coal …
Oil spill into southern Kansas river
An oil spill into a south central Kansas river drew the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency which ordered an oil company to clean up the spill. KSN TV in Wichita reported the EPA issued the order to Atlas Operating LLC following the oil spill in the Chikaskia River. It was February 15 when the …
Energy Briefs: Supreme Court, Oil, Alaska Drilling
U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Climate Liability Case The Supreme Court said Monday that it will hear from oil and gas companies trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change. The conservative-majority court agreed to take up a case from Boulder, Colorado, one …
Proposed delisting for winter plant minimum goes public
February 25, 2026
Federal Proposal Seeks to Delist Geocarpon minimum From Endangered List The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public input on its proposal to remove Geocarpon minimum, a small winter annual plant found in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, from the list of endangered and threatened plants. The proposal represents a significant step in …
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