In something of a surprise move, the Oklahoma Senate on Thursday approved a resolution urging the State House to raise gross production taxes on oil and gas wells as a way to resolve the state’s budget crisis. It drew an immediate rebuke from oil and gas groups. “The continued erosion of tax policy that has …
Someone hacked into the computer system at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission this week leaving most computer services offline as of Thursday. The Commission was quick to indicate there was no compromise of sensitive data. “We detected an attack and have engaged the State CyberCommand and OMES staff to protect and restart the systems,” OMES spokeswoman …
A consortium of energy consumers in the state is preparing to go before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to fight a $150 million rate hike by Public Service Company of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers, a group of large energy users has filed testimony in response to PSO’s 28% base rate hike request. Tom Schroedter, executive …
Oklahoma isn’t the only place where scientists are linking wastewater disposal wells to earthquakes. Researchers at the University of Colorado’s Department of Geological Sciences are making the same new claim of recent earthquakes in what is called the Raton Basin located in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. They contend the deep underground wells have …
An American Indian activist charged with inciting a riot during the protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline claims he will use a “necessity defense” in justifying his civil disobedience last year. Chase Iron Eyes will take his argument before a judge on Nov. 3 after pleading not guilty to inciting a riot and criminal …
Days after Oklahoma Congressmen Frank Lucas and Markwayne Mullin and 78 others in the House expressed concern about the safety of America’s pipelines, a new database was released by Energy Builders that tracks criminal attacks on the energy infrastructure. Called the Energy Infrastructure Incident Reporting Center, the project’s unveiling came after members of the House …
Oklahoma’s senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe, praised the committee approval of four nominees for positions at the Environmental Protection Agency and the nomination of Paul Trombino III to be Administrator for the Federal Highway Administration, according to a press release issued Wednesday. “I am pleased …
At least five people were hurt Wednesday morning when a Halliburton van overturned and crashed on a Canadian County road. Reports by News 9 indicated eight people were in the van when it crashed around 6:20 a.m. near 164th and Calumet Road. The vehicle rolled several times. At least one of the injured was flown …
Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos recently climbed atop a wind tower in west Texas to smash a bottle of champagne and christen the start of a wind farm that will provide power to his huge company. As the Dallas Morning News reported, Bezo launched the 253-megawatt Amazon Wind Farm Texas in Scurry County. His company has …
Republican candidate for Governor Gary Richardson is taking credit for a State supreme Court ruling this week that overturned the Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax Fee on electric vehicles. “I am the only candidate for Governor who even attempted to stop the tax increases and I’m not even an elected official like some of my opponents,” …