** Rail cars carrying hazardous materials derailed in North Dakota on Friday and caught fire, the latest train derailment in the U.S. as concerns over railroads remain high. Twenty-nine cars of a Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) train derailed around 3:45 a.m. in a marshy area surrounded by farmland that’s about 140 miles northwest of Fargo, according to Andrew Kirking, …
Category: Wind Energy
Growing opposition to wind and solar farms and EVs
A new study finds waning support for renewable energy and EVs. The findings are from the Pew Research Center which concluded the support is slipping because Republicans are not enthusiastic about electric vehicles. Bloomberg News reported four years ago, there was 90% support for solar farms, but it has dropped to 78%. Wind farm support fell …
Energy briefs
** Rail cars carrying hazardous material that derailed early Friday were still burning more than 12 hours later in a remote area of North Dakota, but officials said no one was hurt and the threat to those living nearby appeared to be minimal. Twenty-nine cars of a CPKC train derailed around 3:45 a.m. in a marshy area surrounded by …
Grain Belt seeks approval of more transmission lines in western Kansas
The company behind the proposed Grain Belt transmission line to carry wind-powered electricity from western Kansas through Missouri and to Illinois and Indiana wants approval for the first 62 miles in Kansas. Grain Belt LLC is seeking approval of two 345-kilovolt transmission lines—one from Meade to Dodge City and another from Bucklin to Dodge …
Energy briefs
** The Biden administration on Tuesday announced the sale of 1 million barrels of gasoline in its latest effort to push down the price of gas which largely will impact the northeast United States ahead of Fourth of July travel. ** As the nation sizzles, the Biden administration is proposing the nation’s first-ever standards aimed …
Energy briefs
** North Dakota officials are investigating a pipeline break that caused an oil and produced water spill. ** A rail operator will burn off liquefied petroleum from train cars that derailed in a Chicago suburb late last week. ** Texarkana Regional Airport’s new $49 million terminal has officially opened, with local leaders hoping it will foster new development in the …
List of interim studies announced by Senate leader
At least 7 of the 39 interim study requests approved recently by Oklahoma Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat involve energy related matters. One of the issues is a proposed exploration of “unbundling of electric generation from transmission.” It raised the question, “Does it make sense for Oklahoma?” Tulsa State Sen. Dana Prieto requested the …
Energy briefs
** The Supreme Court opened the door Monday to new, broad challenges to regulations long after they take effect, the third blow in a week to federal agencies,reported the Associated Press. The justices ruled 6-3 in favor of a truck stop in North Dakota that wants to sue over a regulation on debit card swipe fees that …
Energy briefs
** BP has put all new offshore wind projects on pause as the oil company’s new chief executive seeks to focus more heavily on fossil fuels. Murray Auchincloss, who became permanent head of the business at the start of the year, has also frozen hiring in the offshore wind division. ** California lawmakers advance legislation that would …
EIA wonders why Midwest electric grids hesitate the use of wind power
The federal government is asking the question, “Why are Midwest grid operators turning away wind power?” Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Hourly Electric Grid Monitor; the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) market monitor; and Potomac Economics (the Midcontinent Independent System Operator [MISO] market monitor) Note: Midwestern United States is the area overseen by the MISO and the SPP …
