Author's posts
Pruitt Corrects Himself on Coal Claims
EPA Chief Scott Pruitt’s had to make some corrections to his Sunday morning TV talk show claims that the coal sector added almost 50,000 jobs since the fourth quarter. On Monday, a spokeswoman for the agency said Pruitt was actually referring to the broader mining sector including other industries. His critics were quick to pounce …
Nation’s Coal Production for Electricity Falls to Lowest Level Since 1984
Oklahoma doesn’t have the kind of coal industry compared to Kentucky or Wyoming so the latest news out of the U.S. Energy Information Administration might not be so surprising. But the amount of coal burned for electricity in 2016 was the lowest since 1984. It amounted to 677 million short tons burned which accounted for …
Oklahoma has Nation’s 2nd Cheapest Gasoline Prices
Oklahoma continues with some of the cheapest gasoline in the country as this week’s average pump price is $2.09, a 3-cent increase in the past week according to the weekly report from AAA Oklahoma. Surrounding states have prices about 3 cents higher including Arkansas and Missouri. The U.S. average is up slightly to $2.38 a …
Ethanol Plant Blast Kills One, Injures More than a Dozen Others in Wisconsin
An explosion at an ethanol plant in Wisconsin late Wednesday left one worker dead and nearly a dozen others injured. It happened at the Didion Milling plant near the town of Cambria which is located northeast of Madison. The blast left the main building in ruins. Sixteen workers were in the structure at the time, …
OKC Still Hurting in Oil and Gas Industry Employment
Despite the rebound from the oil and gas downturn of a few years ago, some counties in Oklahoma that were once strong areas of energy employment are still hurting. The latest figures from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission show Stephens County in southern Oklahoma, where Duncan is the county seat and home to big Halliburton …
No Letup in SCOOP and STACK Exploration
It’s always fascinating to see where the oil and gas developers are locating their latest efforts in Oklahoma’s wildly-developing STACK and SCOOP plays. One of the latest permits to drill, as published by OK Energy Today is revealing who’s drilling where. In Blaine County, Continental Resources has a permit to drill in an area just west …
DEQ Wonders How Budget Cuts Will Affect Its Abilities
Like the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality finds itself wondering how the latest budget cut will affect its operations. “It will take some time to determine the best way to address these cuts in funding,” said Erin E. Hatfield, Communications Director at DEQ. “What I can say, at this point, is …
Sen. Inhofe “Elated” at Trump’s Decision to Pull Out of Paris Climate Accord
“I’m elated.” It’s the response from Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe on Wednesday to word that President Trump would soon announce the nation’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. Inhofe’s response came just a week after he took to the Senate floor and said, “If we remain in the agreement, we are putting ourselves at …
Paris Pullout is What Pruitt Wanted
A day after EPA chief Scott Pruitt met with President Trump at the White House, reports indicated the administration had pulled the trigger and decided to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. White House press secretary Sean Spicer confirmed their meeting on Tuesday. “Ultimately he wants a fair deal for the American people and he …
Corporation Commission Dealing with $500,000 Budget Cut
It’s apparently too soon for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to determine the impact of the latest cut by the legislature in the 2018 budget. “Still assessing,” was the email response from Matt Skinner, a spokesman for the agency when asked by OK Energy Today about the impact of the loss of nearly $500,000. When the State …