The agenda is revealed for next month’s 2023 Oklahoma Governor’s Water Conference and Research Symposium. The November 29 event will begin with an opening session featuring Jennifer Castillo, Chair of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Gov. Kevin Stitt has been invited to speak but there is no confirmation he will attend. A panel featuring …
Newspaper says ROFR should be killed in Illinois
The same week that Oklahoma legislators listened to opponents and supporters of Right of First Refusual, the ability of electric utilities to deny competitive bidding on major transmission projects, Illinois lawmakers were urged to reject ROFR. The Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition spread the word that the Chicago Tribune editorial urged the legislature to stand …
Colorado copies California’s EV mandate at auto dealers
In less than 10 years, Colorado officials want 82% of dealer lots to include electric vehicles. They want to be like California. The vote by the state’s Air Quality Control Commission was an expansion of the state’s existing mandate and provides for increased EV sales by 2032. It also came as the Colorado Automobile …
ONE Gas increases lending agreement
ONE Gas revealed this week it increased its lending agreement from $1 billion to $1.2 billion. The increase agreement was made effective Oct. 20 with its revolving credit firm, the Bank of America, N.A. The agreement was revealed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. “The Increase Agreement increases the aggregate commitments …
UAW strike hits close to home
The United Auto Workers union strike is no longer states away from Oklahoma….it’s next door. The strike against General Motors Arlington Assembly plant in Texas was started Tuesday morning as 5,000 union workers walked off the job, joining nearly 45,000 other membes on the picket lines. The expansion means GM’s Chevy Tahoe,Chevy Suburban, GMC Yukon …
Wells Fargo booted from Texas bond deal over ESG policies
Just like Oklahoma, Texas has a law banning financial companies from doing business with the state if they discriminate against the oil and gas industry. Wells Fargo & Co. found it out recently when it was dropped from underwriting a school district bond deal in Texas. It is the latest example of the battle …
Oklahoma House Committee dives into performance based ratemaking
The arguments made in a legislative hearing on proposed Performance Based Ratemaking for Oklahoma utilities were just as adament for and against on Monday. The House Utilities Committee held the interim study as those preferring the PBR or alternative ratemaking were the utilities represented by Oklahoma Gas and Electric and Public Service Company of …
New board member named at OERB
The Oklahoma Energy Resources Board (OERB) announced the appointment of Elizabeth K. Brown to its board of directors. Brown serves as General Counsel to The Gloria Corporation, a privately held oil and gas exploration and production company founded by her father and based in Ada, Oklahoma. She is also a shareholder and member of …
Crude oil and OK energy stocks take a hit on Monday
A big drop in crude oil prices hit the markets on Monday and Oklahoma energy stocks recorded losses for the day. West Texas Intermediate crude for December delivery dropped $2.59 to finish at $85.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark Brent crude droopped $2.33 a barrell and closed at $89.83 …
Residents cite explosive potential of Enid solar farm
Some of the residents around a proposed NextEra solar farm near Enid in northern Oklahoma are convinced it will be harmful to them and others. They argue the 200 megawatt, 4-hour battery energy storage system planned as part of the Skeleton Creek NextEra Energy Center has the potential to be explosive and start fires. …