The Oklahoma Space Industry Development Board meets Thursday afternoon in Oklahoma City and the U.S. effort to return to the moon will be one of the issues to be discussed. One of the items to be considered is an update on the status of NASA’s Artemis project, the effort to return to the moon. …
Legislator wants to ban state purchases of foreign-made drones
The growth of the use of drones has been astounding over the past decade. They’re used by oil and gas producers, land agents, ranchers and many others. Now a legislator wants to prohibit the state of Oklahoma from buying drones from covered foreign entities. Rep. Chris Banning, a Republican from Bixy filed the legislation. House …
New energy firm explores more acreage opportunities in the Permian
A Dallas oil and gas company that is not even one year old is making some headlines in the Permian Basin where it started making more acquisitions for oil production. Ellipsis U.S. Onshore, formed in June 2023, is considered a newcomer to the Delaware Basin which makes up the western part of the Permian. …
Lucas committee wants answers over latest Artemis space delay
As chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas was eager Wednesday to learn more about why NASA’s Artemis program was delayed again. He chaired a hearing on the subject of Returning to the Moon: Keeping Artemis on Track, and showed he wanted some answers from NASA’s leadership about the …
How close is ERCOT in Texas to failure over extreme weather?
At least one energy expert maintains the electric grid in Texas, ERCOT, is under a crucial test this week because of the extreme cold and it could show how close it is to another collapse—just like it did during Winter Storm Uri in 2021. That’s the opinion of David Blackmon, a man with a …
Energy quick reads
** Environmentalists are urging the White House to use an obscure legal tool to thwart TC Energy Corp.’s planned expansion of a natural gas pipeline in the Pacific Northwest that they say would stoke climate change. ** Freezing temperatures sweeping the US shut in more than half of North Dakota’s oil production and curbed refinery …
OGE defends request for $332 million rate hike request
In seeking a more than $332 million rate hike request that consumers would see rates increase by more than 13%, Oklahoma Gas and Electric maintains the biggest reason for the request is “the additional capital investment since the last rate case.” It’s the testimony of Kimber Shoop, director of regulatory affairs at OG&E. He …
Rep. Cole—Americans are paying more under Democrats’ failed economy policies
Writing in his congressional column, Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole says the efforts of Democrats and the left-leaning media to pain a pretty picture of an improving economy could not be further from the truth. The Republican Representative wrote that everyday Americans know better and that inflation is “eating away at their hard-earned money.” He …
Broadband director anticipates awarding hundreds of millions in project this year
The Director of the Oklahoma Broadband Office says 2024 should be a year of success—“early and often.” It’s what Mike Sanders wrote in a 2023 annual report delivered to the board at the end of December. “The work being accomplished will send positive ripple effects far into the state’s future,” he wrote. ” Health …
Crude saw little change on Tuesday while OK energy stocks recorded losses
Crude oil prices changed little in Tuesday’s trading while Oklahoma energy stocks suffered losses for the day, including a 5% decline for Chesapeake Energy, one week after it announced a multi-billion dollar merger with Southwestern Energy of Texas. The crude prices faced pressure from the dollar as it rose to its highest in a month, …