Energy costs soared in the U.S. in the past year

  The country’s inflation rate just hit 7% and it means Oklahomans and others throughout the country are paying far more for their energy as well as food and housing. The latest Consumer Price Index report from the U.S. Department of Labor said all costs rose 7% for the 12 months ending December. It represented …

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US crude settles above $82

  A two-month high was hit by U.S. crude prices in Wednesday’s trading as West Texas Intermediate crude settled above the $82 level. It also sent up some Oklahoma energy stocks. WTI for February delivery went up $1.42 to $82.64 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for March delivery rose 95 …

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EIA forecasts crude oil prices will fall in 2022 and 2023

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook, January 202 While oil prices are soaring and U.S. prices are above the $80 level, the federal government predicts they won’t hold throughout this year and next. The U.S. Energy Information Administration came out with a prediction on Wednesday that prices will fall from the 2021 levels. The prediction …

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Biden Administration Takes Action on Toxic Coal Ash Waste

  In a move that did not yet directly affect any coal ash facilities in Oklahoma due to coal-fired power plants, the Biden administration took what was considered a first significant move this week in addressing widespread problems with the toxic ash from others around the nation. The administration plans action on 9 of 57 …

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Legislator who opposed winter storm rate hikes removed as Energy leader

  A Kansas legislator was yanked as chairman of a House Energy Committee after sending a letter urging Kansas regulators delay utility rate increases over the February winter storm. The Kansas Reflector reported Rep. Joe Seiwert, a Republican from Pretty Prairie is no longer chairman. Click here for Kansas Reflector.

Wind turbine setbacks adopted by regulators in Hutchinson, Kansas

  It took nearly a year and a half of debate before county regulators in Hutchinson, Kansas adopted new regulations on the development of commercial wind turbines in Reno County. The Hutchinson News reports the new regulations include a 2,000 foot setback for wind turbines from homes. Click here for Hutchinson News.

Other energy news stories

** The Environmental Protection Agency is taking its first major action to address toxic wastewater from coal-burning power plants, ordering utilities to stop dumping waste into unlined storage ponds and speed up plans to close leaking or otherwise dangerous coal ash sites. ** The US government spent $1.1 billion on carbon capture projects that mostly failed. ** U.S. …

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Halliburton and others to form Texas Geothermal Alliance

  A geothermal energy group that has the backing of Halliburton, Baker Hughes, CenterPoint Energy and others will be launched Thursday in Texas. The Texas Geothermal Energy Alliance will be used to help Halliburton and others transition to low-carbon energy from oil and gas reported Reuters. Click here for Reuters.  

Enterprise buys $3B of Permian Basin natural gas assets

  Houston’s Enterprise Products just plunked down more than $3 billion in the acquisition of natural gas processing facilities in the Permian Basin. Enterprise acquired Navitas Midstream Partners in a $3.25 billion deal that included 1,750 miles of pipelines and nearly 1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas processing capacity reported the Carlsbad …

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U.S. Steel to build new mill in NE Arkansas

  Northeast Arkansas is the choice by United States Steel Corp. for its $3 billion mill where up to 900 workers will be hired. The Pittsburgh-based company announced this week it picked Osceola for the site of its new mill and construction is expected to begin early this year reported the Associated Press. Click here …

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