A 3,600-acre, six-square mile solar farm is a step closer to production in the Texas Panhandle. A report indicated that $590 million in funding was recently secured by Vesper Energy for the Hornet Solar project south of Amarillo. Power production for ERCOT, the Texas electricity grid, is anticipated to begin in January of 2025 …
Category: General
Despite administration attacks, record amount of natural gas was consumed in US in mid-January
It’s worth noting that while some cities are banning natural gas in new buildings and the Biden administration attacks the industry by freezing LNG ports, the U.S. consumed a record high 141.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas on January 16 of this year. It broke the old record in the U.S. lower …
Super Bowl Sunday snow in Oklahoma?
Sounds crazy, right? Beautiful early spring-like weather in Oklahoma in the past two weeks and someone comes up with a weekend forecast that suggests—what? Snow! It’s in the forecast—maybe—according to Oklahoma Climatologist Gary McManus. In Tuesday’s Mesonet update, he said there are a lot of “IFs” involved in whether it really snows in northwest …
Suncor Refinery hit with largest pollution fine in Colorado
Suncor Energy is coughing up $10.5 million to settle pollution violations at its refinery in Commerce City, Colorado outside of Denver—-the largest such fine in state history. Suncor was accused by the Colorado Air Pollultion Control Division of hundreds of unpermitted air releases at the refinery between July 2019 and June 2021. The Canadian …
Evergy wants approval of higher rates for some Missouri customers
Whenever a utility declares it wants to recover investments made in generation capacity, those are words exchanged for “rate hike.” It’s what Evergy, Inc. did recently in filing a request and supporting documentation with the Missouri Public Service Commission. The request covers Evergy’s 340,000 custsomers in St. Joseph, Liberty, Platte City and elsewhere in …
New chairman named at Southwest Power Pool
The Southwest Power Pool Board of Directors is under new leadership, according to announcement by the regional power grid operator. Oklahoma is one of 14 states that make up the SPP. According to the announcement, John Cupparo is now the board chair, filling the chair role formerly held by Susan Certoma. Certoma, who has served …
Would Tellurian’s sale of Haynesville assets be inviting for an OKC firm?
Houston’s Tellurian Inc. just stirred the pot in the Haynesville play after announcing it intends to offer its upstream business for sale including more than 31,000 acres in east Texas and Louisiana. Could the announcement be inviting to one Oklahoma City energy firm? The Haynesville is a heavy target of Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy. …
Enviros complain of too many government subsidies for Permian Basin developers
While critics of wind and solar power point out how the government funds those renewable energy sources with billions in subsidies, critics of oil and gas point to government subsidies for the industry. The latest example of tit for tat studies came from the NRDC or Natural Resources Defense Council which stated documents reveal …
Scientists study if oil and gas wells played a role in recent 5.1 magnitude earthquake
The shutdown of nine wastewater wells by state regulators folllowing last week’s 5.1 magnitude earthquake centered near Prague will be indefinite according to a spokesman for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. Matt Skinner said the wells, suspected of possibly causing the large quake and dozens of others from aftershock, will be closed while scientists study …
Residents stop frac sand mine proposed in eastern Missouri
(David Carson, Post-Dispatch) Residents who fought a proposed silica sand mine in eastern Missouri contend they won the fight after the company withdrew its lawsuit over a restrictive County ordinance. It was in Ste. Genevieve County where residents opposed the 249-acre site proposed two years ago. They formed Operation Sand and argued the mining …