** Strong winds and rain have knocked out power for nearly 600,000 customers in California, particularly along the coast, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us. Winds reached 98 mph in Santa Clara, and the San Francisco International Airport saw winds near 60 mph. ** Bank of America backtracks on its commitment not to finance new coal mines, …
Growing number of counties ban solar and wind projects
A report by USA Today claims that an estimated 15% of the counties across the nation have stopped new solar and wind power projects. As the paper reported, its review “shows local governments are banning green energy faster than they’re building it.” The limits of the renewable energy projects includes outright bans, moratoriums, construction …
Texas LNG projects on hold because of Biden’s moratorium
Because of President Biden’s recent moratorium on LNG projects across the nation, four such LNG projects totaling billions of dollars are on hold in the state of Texas. Developers contend the White House, as a result of the order, is jeopardizing hundreds of millions of dollars invested by developers. The Houston Chronicle reported that …
Love’s still in court over fee dispute for construction of a renewable diesel plant in Nebraska
A Federal Appeals Court has ruled in part against Loves’s Travel Stops and Country Stores, Inc. in a legal fight with a firm it hired to help develop a nearly $300 million renewable diesel facility that is still under construction near Hastings, Nebraska. The Tenth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned part of an …
ROFR, PBR, cash and the Oklahoma Legislature
It is a big day at the Oklahoma State Capitol. The Oklahoma Legislature returns to session and depending on your viewpoint of legislators, can be a circus or a scary time for voters. We’ll be paying attention to how much focus on energy the Governor gives in his annual State of the State Address …
Regulators direct shutdown of disposal wells near 5.1 magnitude earthquake site
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission took action on Saturday regarding oil and gas operations that may have played a role in the Friday earthquake that measure 5.1 magnitude and was felt in four other states. The epicenter was several miles northwest of Prague and at a depth of about 1.8 miles below the surface. …
Geologist maintains climate change is hurt Tulsa flood levee system
Bob Jackman, an independent geologist and close follower of water and how it can help Oklahoma and also hurt the state believes the 84-year old levee system developed to protect the city of Tulsa is “worthless.” In an opinion piece for the Tulsa World, Jackman pointed out how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, …
Coal and natural gas still kept Texas grid operating in recent cold weather
While renewable energy fans raved about how wind and solar farms produced electricity during the recent frigid weather that hit Texas, it was still coal and natural gas that remained strong fuels for the electricity to keep homes warm—-and from the state’s energy grid doing a repeat of the 2021 Winter Storm Uri. It’s …
Steel workers in SE Colorado temporarily laid off
About 250 steel workers laid off last month at the Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel Mill in Pueblo, Colorado are expected back on the job in a few weeks. Eric Ludwig, president of the United Steelworkers Local 2012, told the Pueblo Chieftain explained they were temporary layoffs and all let go in January should be …
Oklahoma’s oil and gas revenues aren’t improving
Oklahoma’s tax revenue for January rose nearly 8%, but State Treasurer Todd Russ says unfortunately, gross production tax revenue from oil and gas in the state fell more than 12%. All tax sources total $1.51 billion for January, up $107 million, or 7.6 percent, when comparing to January of last year. Revenue from the …