An end to landline phone services offered by AT&T is coming soon in Oklahoma—especially to rural customers. The company recently explained its goal is to eliminate the copper-based landline in the coming five years as the firm moves more and more to fiber-optic internet and 5G. News on 6 in Tulsa recently reported how …
Crude oil prices finished higher on Friday
A 1% gain in crude oil prices on Friday had the opposite effect on Oklahoma energy stocks as some fell 4% to 6% for the day. Prices were helped by a larger-than-expected drawndown of US crude inventories last week. West Texas Intermediate crude finished up 98 cents or 1.4% at $70.60 per barrel on the …
Energy briefs
** Colorado regulators consider a proposed rule requiring about 40 natural gas companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or pay into a carbon credit trading system. ** California’s grid operator says increased battery energy storage capacity helped it meet rising power demand this summer even though gas generation declined. ** New York communities are resisting a state mandate to buy only …
Federal government hands out more funds targeting orphaned wells
Some of the unplugged and abandoned oil wells on public lands in Oklahoma are among thousands targeted in the Department of Interior handout of nearly $110 million. The department recently announced $109.6 million will be used by five federal agencies to work on plugging and reclaiming orphaned oil and gas wells in national parks, …
SWEPCO to convert power plants to natural gas
SWEPCO, the Southwestern Electric Power Co. currently in development of its Wagon Wheel wind farm in northern Oklahoma, now intends to renovate two of its coal-fired generators in East Texas. SWEPCO intends to convert the two power facilities to include the use of natural gas. The company announced recently the conversion plans for …
Microsoft gets more renewable energy in SW Texas
Solar plant. Photo by: First Solar (www.firstsolar.com) Microsoft Corp. is getting more of its electrical power from a renewable energy site in Texas. In recent days, Leeward Renewable Energy began operations of its 200-MW Morrow Lake Solar plant in Frio County, located southwest of San Antonio. According to Renewables Now, the solar farm will …
NOG says acquisition report is untrue
Northern Oil and Gas took the unusual step prior to Christmas Day of denying it was attempting to acquire Dallas-based Granite Ridge Resources. The denial was of a report by Reuters that NOG had submitted an offer approximately 20% more than Granite Ridge’s share price. But NOG denied it and explained it had a …
FERC approves ALLETE merger
Federal regulators signed off recently on the merger of ALLETE, Inc., the parent firm of a wind farm operator in Oklahoma, with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Global Infrastructure Partners. ALLETE, based in Duluth, Minnesota, received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “FERC’s approval of ALLETE’s proposed transaction with CPP Investments and …
Utility bills increased in the past year
Oklahomans fighting rate hike requests by the state’s major electric utilities aren’t alone in their battles. A new report released today from doxo reveals that Americans spend an average of $362 per month on utilities, up 3% from last year. Through a statistical analysis of actual household payments toward utilities across 97% of U.S. zip …
Legislators take a stand against a possible McIntosh County wind farm
Two Oklahoma legislators have warned Oklahoma wind farm operator TransAlta –a wind farm it might build in McIntosh County is not wanted and they intend to fight it. They are the latest to come out against the wind farm after a Native American tribe did the same in November. Reps. Neil Hays of …