The vote by Wagoner County Commissioners on Monday on a proposed NextEra Energy Resources solar farm did not go well for the giant energy firm. Commissioners voted 2-1 to deny the proposed 4,900-acre farm near the town of Porter, a farm opposed by some residents and landowners. “While NextEra Energy Resources is disappointed …
Category: General
Continental Resources jumping onto Powder River Basin opportunities
Reports suggest Continental Resources is expanding its exploration operations throughout Wyoming’s Powder River Basin where one executive with the Oklahoma City company says the goal is to turn it into the next Williston Basin. It was the Williston where Continental founder Harold Hamm made his fortune and turned the oil and gas company into …
Mayor says “secret is out” about Chickasha
Chickasha Mayor Zach Grayson says his city is about to explode. “The secret is out.” It’s what he says about the recent announcement of a $3.5 billion data center and industrial park that is still making news. The project was a focus of a Journal Record story this week. Click here for Journal …
Ohio University researchers to help Stardust Power’s Muskogee lithium refining project
Lithium mining company, Stardust Power Inc. intends to get assistance from Ohio University researchers in its refining efforts under construction in Muskogee. The GREENWICH, Conn.-based company announced Monday it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ohio University for a strategic partnership on advanced lithium extraction and refining technologies, including potential applications of …
Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners join regional regulatory utility group
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s recent decision to join the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners is official after the association approved the move. SEARUC voted June 11, 2025, during its annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas, to approve the Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s (OCC) membership request, officially welcoming the state regulatory body into the regional …
Energy briefs
** A federal court upholds the Biden administration’s approval of the Willow drilling project in Alaska and allows construction to continue, but orders the federal Bureau of Land Management to address a flaw in its environmental review. ** A federal oil and gas lease sale in Wyoming nets $7.7 million, which an industry insider described …
Finally—a regulator who challenged a utility
A Corporation Commissioner who wouldn’t back down. It’s the case in Arizona where a new state regulator challenged one of the state’s largest utilities over its proposed rate hike calculations and after months, it admitted….he was right. Commissioner Rene Lopez challenged Arizona Public Service company over its figures. After winning his challenge, he’s not …
NextEra and solar farm opponents await county commission vote
Wagoner County Commissioners are expected to take a vote Monday on a proposed 4,900-acre solar farm proposed by NextEra Energy and also has its share of opponents around the small town of Porter. NextEra, in its presentation earlier this year to the county commissioners, maintained the Persica Solar Farm would be an economic …
Rate hike fight might end up in court for small eastern Oklahoma town
A legal battle could develop out of the fight between the small eastern Oklahoma town of Arkoma and the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas. Fort Smith provides utilities to the border town of Arkoma and recently proposed a nearly 226% rate hike for Arkoma residents. You can imagine the shock of the Oklahomans …
Oklahoma and US record more oil and gas rig declines
Rig numbers across the U.S. and in Oklahoma took another dip in the past week with a loss in oil rig activity and in natural gas exploration. At the same time, the rig numbers revealed a slow growth of gas drilling activity in the past year. The Baker Hughes report released on Friday showed …