** On Friday, 22 U.S. senators wrote a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum warning him that the Trump administration’s effort to shrink the federal workforce could cripple the National Park Service (NPS) ahead of the busy summer season. ** Slowing US oil-production growth is casting a pall over projects intended to expand crude shipments to overseas markets, …
Category: General
Williams Cos. honored for its transparency
Williams announced that the company has been recognized across several key rankings for sustainability leadership – including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment and MSCI – for its commitment to transparency and performance related to long-term economic, environmental, social and governance criteria. Notably, Williams was named for the fifth consecutive …
Senator wants Hugo Lake under control of State Tourism Department
Hugo Lake in southeast Oklahoma is the target of a bill to transfer its management and operation to the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. Republican Sen. George Burns of Pollard introduced Senate Bill 121 and proposes transferring all properties currently held for Hugo Lake Park to the department by January 1, 2026. The …
Conveyor belt carries frack sand 42 miles in Permian Basin
Imagine a 42-mile long conveyor belt in west Texas and southeast New Mexico. The $400 million project, the world’s second largest conveyor belt, was designed to haul hydraulic fracturing sand from a Texas facility to Permian Basin oil and gas operations in New Mexico. Reporter Russell Gold of the Texas Monthly recently wrote about the …
The party’s over at Canoo
The late former NFL quarterback Don Meredith, known for singing the old Willie Nelson song “Turn Out the Lights, the Party’s Over” at the end of pro football games telecast on ABC couldn’t have said it better for EV maker Canoo. For more than a week, stocks in the bankrupt electric car maker Canoo, have …
Transportation Commission highlights
Highlights of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission’s February 3, meeting include a briefing on the federal funding continuing resolution and reception of an industry award along with approval of a widening project on SH-33 near Langston and resurfacing projects on I-35 and US-69. Oklahoma Department of Transportation Executive Director Tim Gatz updated commissioners on the …
Protecting American Energy act supported by Oklahoma’s Representatives
The U.S. House recently passed the Protecting American Energy Production Act, a bill to prevent any President from banning fracking, had the support of all five Oklahoma Representatives. The vote was 226 to 188. Rep. Stephanie Bice called the passage of H.R. 26 an important piece of legislation that will ensure congressional control over …
Mitchell talks energy with Jerry Bohnen—an energy challenge for President Trump
On today’s podcast of Scott Mitchell Talks Energy with Jerry Bohnen, they study the question of—Does the massive amount of new energy needed to power generative artificial intelligence over the next decade run counter to the campaign promises of the new administration in DC? We discuss the dilemma plus a breakdown of the steps …
Wagoner County Commissioners to vote on solar farm
Wagoner County Commissioners are expected Monday to take a vote on a nearly 5,000 acre solar farm near Porter that has drawn opposition from some landowners. The Persica Solar farm proposed by NextEra Energy Resources totals at least 4,650 acres. Opponents have challenged the site claiming county commissioner have never seen an environmental study …
Former Oklahoma Deputy Energy Secretary named to head EPA regional office
The newly named regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is Scott Mason, a former Deputy Secretary of Energy for Oklahoma. In the position, he’ll be in charge of EPA programs in Oklahoma and four other states as well as 66 Tribal Nations. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that President …