Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA

Ranking fourth in the country for crude oil production and extraction of natural gas and home to modest coal reserves, Oklahoma has not finalized a statewide climate adaptation plan. At the state level, the politics on climate change is heavily influenced by the fossil fuel sector, and both Oklahoma senators, Jim Inhofe and James Lankford, are prominent climate change deniers. Meanwhile, in spite of wide-spread skepticism of man-made climate change, groups within Oklahoma still are finding ways to prepare for the future. Scientists at University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University are monitoring weather patterns and carrying out research on climate change, while municipalities are developing their own climate change adaptation strategies.  

As a Great Plains state, Oklahoma also has a huge capacity for renewable wind energy production, which it is pursuing, although its commitment to an energy transition is unclear. In the 2010 Oklahoma Energy Security Act, the state made a commitment to 15% renewable energy by 2015, and in 2019 it produced nearly 35% of its net electricity from wind. However, in 2019 Oklahoma’s natural gas production also reached an all-time high at 3.2 trillion cubic feet. The state shows no signs of reducing its fossil fuel production soon; the 2010 Energy Security Act also established a natural gas energy standard that declared natural gas the preferred fossil fuel, and Oklahoma Natural Gas began providing rebates to homeowners in 2011 and businesses in 2019. Another sign of Oklahoma’s wavering pursuit of renewable energy is Governor Mary Fallin’s decision to bring the state’s tax incentives for wind energy more than three years early. The tax credit, Fallin said, was instrumental in establishing the wind industry in Oklahoma, which now ranks No. 3 in the nation for installed wind power capacity.

As GOP Candidates Question Climate Change, Texas & Oklahoma Hit by Devastating Floods Killing 23

CURRENT NEWS

Supreme Court refuses to block ban on Okla. city fines for Native Americans

By Ann E. Marimow 08/04/23
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to block a lower court ruling that would revoke the authority of Oklahoma officials to enforce certain laws against Native Americans amid legal confusion over the justices’ 2020 declaration…
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Enel Green Power moves one step closer to solar cell and module factory in Oklahoma

By Anne Fischer 05/15/23
If approved, the proposed U.S. factory will be Enel’s second solar manufacturing facility, as it previously announced the expansion of its 3Sun Gigafactory in Catania, Sicily. The U.S. factory will also be one of the…
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NextEra Blows Green Hydrogen Raspberry At Renewable Energy Foes

By Tina Casey 05/11/23
The Florida energy firm NextEra Energy Partners has decided to ditch its natural gas pipelines and transform itself into a pure-play renewable energy investment opportunity. That pulls the rug out from under Florida Governor Ron…
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Oklahoma the latest state to boot BlackRock, other firms over ESG investment

By Ramsey Touchberry 05/03/23
The world’s largest financial institutions were blacklisted Wednesday by Oklahoma from doing business with state entities over their support of the climate change-focused investment strategy ESG.
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Oklahoma is about to get one of the largest solar cell factories in the US

By Michelle Lewis 04/27/23
Enel North America has named Oklahoma as its preferred choice for its planned 3-gigawatt (GW) solar panel and cell factory.
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Enel says Oklahoma is top candidate for its US solar panel factory

By Nichola Groom 04/26/23
Italian utility Enel SpA (ENEI.MI) on Tuesday said Oklahoma was the leading candidate to become the home of a major U.S. solar panel and cell factory it announced last year.
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U.S. Secretary of Energy: Sooner State could become well known for renewable energy

By Jennifer M. Granholm 04/23/23
Perhaps no other state is more connected — culturally and economically — to fossil fuels than Oklahoma.
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Heat mapping campaign could identify, solve extreme heat targeting OKC’s most vulnerable

By Jessie Christopher Smith 04/14/23
How much hotter are poorer, inner-city neighborhoods than leafy, wealthier pockets? Is climate change disproportionately impacting people in urban areas with fewer trees and less money to pay for air conditioning? What can be done…
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Tornado-spawning storms may get worse due to warming

By Associated Press 03/30/23
America will probably get more killer tornado- and hail-spawning supercells as the world warms, according to a new study that also warns the lethal storms will edge eastward to strike more frequently in the more…
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Is Oklahoma’s fight against pro-environmental policies hurting business recruitment?

By Ben Felder 03/26/23
Oklahoma's Republican lawmakers are pushing back on environmentally conscious investment programs, a political effort they say protects the state’s oil and gas economy while also combating “woke ideology.”
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NextEra’s Skeleton Creek Project: A Renewable Energy Game Changer with Massive Wind and Solar Farms and Battery Storage

By Jon Derbyster 03/05/23
Battery storage technology is rapidly evolving and becoming an increasingly important component of renewable energy projects. One of the most notable projects in the United States is being developed by NextEra in Northwest Oklahoma.
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Oklahoma considers bill to prohibit cities and towns from banning gas-powered cars

By Edy Zoo 03/03/23
Legislators in Oklahoma are considering a new bill, HB2135, which would prohibit cities, towns, and counties from banning the sale, purchase, trade, or usage of any motor vehicle that utilizes an internal combustion engine as…
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KEY RESOURCES

Oklahoma Solar Panels: Pricing and Incentives

01/26/22
The Sooner State ranks 45th nationally for solar energy use. Currently, the state generates 84.7 MW of energy from solar panels. There are also 30 solar companies, accounting for developers, manufacturers, and others. While solar…

Oklahoma State Profile and Energy Estimates

10/10/21
Oklahoma is in the heart of the U.S. Mid-Continent oil region, a vast oil- and natural gas-producing area that also encompasses Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico and is flanked by the Mississippi River…

Energy State Bill Tracking Database

09/10/21
The searchable Energy Storage Legislation Database displays information in interactive maps and charts, tracking state activity from 2017 to the present.

The First National Flood Risk Assessment

10/06/20
The First Street Foundation Flood Model represents the culmination of decades of research and development made possible by building upon existing knowledge and frameworks regularly referenced in the identification of flood risk.

The Impacts of Climate Change and the Trump Administration’s Anti-Environmental Agenda in Oklahoma

09/19/20
Between 2017 and 2019, Oklahoma experienced nine severe storms, three severe floods, and one intense drought. The damages of each event led to losses of at least $1 billion.

State-by-State: Climate Change in Oklahoma

08/06/20
Overall, Oklahoma will become warmer, seeing both stronger floods and droughts because of climate change. While most of Oklahoma did not warm during the past 50-100 years, soils are drier, annual rainfall has increased with…

Oklahoma Energy Security Act

04/20/20
In May 2010, the Oklahoma Legislature enacted the Oklahoma Energy Security Act (see H.B. 3028), establishing a renewable energy goal for electric utilities operating in the state. The goal calls for 15% of the total installed generation capacity in…

Oklahoma Climatological Survey

04/10/20
The Oklahoma Climatological Survey was established by the University of Oklahoma in 1980 to provide climate services to the people of Oklahoma. In 1982, OCS was established under Oklahoma Sunset Law (HB 1937, c. 63)…

Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP)

04/10/20
The Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP) is a South Central United States focused climate hazards and research program whose mission is to help communities build resilience to weather and climate extremes now and in…

Oklahoma Mesonet

04/10/20
The Oklahoma Mesonet is a world-class network of environmental monitoring stations. The network was designed and implemented by scientists at the University of Oklahoma (OU) and at Oklahoma State University (OSU).

Oklahoma City Office of Sustainability

04/10/20
The Office of Sustainability is responsible for enhancing Oklahoma City's sustainability efforts throughout the organization and the community by providing technical recommendations, sustainability planning and outreach services to City Departments and the public.

EXPLAINER | Wind Energy

04/10/20
Wind energy is expanding in Oklahoma, especially in western parts of the state.

MORE NEWS

In the face of mass migration, we can learn from Oklahoma’s young people

By John Thompson   02/14/23  
It has been estimated that up to 1.2 billion people will be displaced by climate change worldwide by 2050. That means the number of refugees coming to the United States will likely explode, changing immigration…
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Oklahoma Taking Names as It Seeks to Weed Out ESG Investors

By Michael Katz   02/13/23  
Oklahoma State Treasurer Todd Russ has sent questionnaires to national financial institutions to determine which companies are in breach of a state law requiring the state to boycott companies that shun fossil fuel investments.
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SWEEPING O’ER THE PLAINS

By Ruth Ann Replogle   02/12/23  
Wind continues to sweep over the plains of Northwest Oklahoma, and more wind farms are being built to harness that energy.
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For Stitt, climate change is less threat and more business opportunity

By Ben Felder   09/11/22  
Speaking to more than 100 state government officials from across the western United States, Gov. Kevin Stitt listed off the ways Oklahoma had embraced renewable energies and a "greener" future.
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Oklahoma faces a hotter, drier future, experts say

By Garrett Yalch   08/07/22  
Michael Peters crouches in the red Okarche dirt in what should have been an abounding, chest-high field of hay. But the field is patchy, and what remains fails to even reach his knee.
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Which States Are the Most Environmentally Friendly?

By Sarah Lozanova   05/05/22  
A majority of Americans see the effects of climate change in their own communities and believe the federal government should do more to stop them. Despite growing concern about the climate crisis, some states are…
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What to know about Oklahoma’s embrace of the electric vehicle industry

By Dale Denwalt   05/02/22  
From the introduction of electric vehicle startup Canoo, to the murky details of "Project Ocean," Oklahoma is making plays to lure EV manufacturing into the state.
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Oklahoma creek on ‘America’s Most Endangered Rivers’ list for second year in a row

By Kimberly Barker   04/30/22  
Tar Creek, an 11-mile stream polluted with heavy metals from lead and zinc mining, has nabbed a spot on “America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2022” for the second consecutive year. American Rivers — a nonprofit…
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Oklahoma is already a tough place for allergy sufferers. Climate change could make that worse

By Dana Branham   04/25/22  
Worsening allergies is only one of the ways Clay Pope has seen climate change play out in his life. Hanging from a wall in the shop of his barn in Loyal, in the northwestern part…
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Oklahoma governor touts importance of electric vehicle partnership

By Kaelan Deese   04/16/22  
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is seeking to tune up expectations for one of the leading state economies for oil and gas with a plan to bring in electric vehicle manufacturers to what he calls the…
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Oklahoma has only slightly increased oil and gas production during the Ukraine war. Here’s why

By Adam Kemp   04/14/22  
The price for gasoline is up nationwide as American consumers feel the squeeze from global sanctions against Russia.
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Meta signs 200MW wind PPA in Oklahoma

By Dan Swinhoe   04/06/22  
Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, has signed a 200MW power purchase agreement (PPA) with TransAlta Corporation.
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SWEPCO harnesses wind for customers

By Andrew Moreau   03/26/22  
Southwestern Electric Power Co. is now using wind power to deliver electricity to customers in Arkansas and Louisiana through "the largest single wind farm ever built at once in North America."
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Massive new wind center opens operations in Oklahoma

By Journal Record Staff   03/22/22  
The Traverse Wind Energy Center, billed as one of the largest wind facilities in the world and the largest ever built in a single phase in North America, has commenced commercial operations in Blaine and…
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OK wind farm now serving Arkansas SWEPCO customers

By C.C. McCandless   03/21/22  
According to a press release, the 998-megawatt Traverse Wind Energy Center, the largest single wind farm built at one time in North America, is now providing clean energy to Southwestern Electric Power Co. customers in…
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Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas partner for regional hydrogen hub to compete for IIJA funding

03/17/22  
The US states of Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas have entered into a bipartisan three-state partnership to establish a regional hub for development, production, and use of clean hydrogen as fuel and manufacturing feedstock.
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‘We’re Being Wrapped in Poison’: A Century of Oil and Gas Development Has Devastated the Ponca City Region of Northern Oklahoma

By Phil McKenna   12/26/21  
When Earl “Trey” Howe III returned home here after four years of military service, the first thing he noticed was the smell. Howe grew up in and around Ponca City, the site of the Phillips…
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Climate Scientists Forecast High Temperatures Into the Fall

By Henry Fountain   09/16/21  
After a summer of blistering heat across much of the country, the hotter-than-normal conditions that have contributed to severe drought across the West are forecast to continue into the fall, scientists with the National Oceanic…
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AEP wind farm of 287 MW goes live in Oklahoma

By Plamena Tisheva   09/13/21  
American Electric Power Co Inc (NASDAQ:AEP) on Friday said its 287-MW Maverick Wind Energy Center in Oklahoma has started commercial operation.
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Restoring wildlife populations will create jobs in Oklahoma

By Christina Phillips   09/12/21  
Oklahoma is celebrated for its diverse ecosystems and wildlife, but despite this diversity, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has identified no less than 310 Oklahoma wildlife species — encompassing every habitat and wildlife group, from insects…
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Counties most concerned about climate change in Oklahoma

By Stacker   09/05/21  
Nationally, 72% of Americans believe global warming is happening. But when public opinion researchers zoom in on Americans, they find that attitudes and opinions about climate change can vary drastically from county to county—even when those…
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Six U.S. states accounted for over half of the primary energy produced in 2019

By Brett Marohl   08/31/21  
In 2019, the top six primary energy-producing states—Texas, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and North Dakota—accounted for 55 quadrillion British thermal units (quads), or 55% of all of the primary energy produced in the United States. In…
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Oklahoma expert weighs in on climate change report

By Jordan Evans   08/27/21  
 Earlier this month, the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the first installment of its sixth assessment report on the state of Earth's climate.
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NEW SOLAR COMPANY PLANS 75 JOBS IN OKLAHOMA CITY

By The journal record staff   08/24/21  
The fledgling company already has formed a team of 35 employees. Plans are to deliver on commercial, residential and new development solar and electrical contracting projects. The company also offers battery storage and generator solutions…
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Oklahoma’s Conservation Dams Don’t Stick Out, But Save Lives and Tens of Millions Of Dollars

By Logan Layden and Nyk Daniels   08/24/21  
Oklahoma’s more than 2,000 conservation dams don’t stick out. They’re mostly on private land, out of sight and out of mind. But the flood control they provide saves the state tens of millions of dollars…
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Cherokee Nation chief thanks Biden for proposed boost in tribal broadband money

By Chris Casteel   08/12/21  
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. told President Joe Biden on Wednesday that the broadband portion of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill will help the tribe continue connecting its youth, elders and other members to…
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EV Manufacturer Picks Tulsa For First Mega Microfactory

06/17/21  
After considering multiple states, electric vehicle manufacturer Canoo has decided to create more than 2,000 jobs and build its first mega microfactory on a 400-acre site at the MidAmerica Industrial Park located near Tulsa, OK.…
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South inundated after torrential rain sparks flooding

By Jason Hanna and Amanda Jackson   05/18/21  
Water rescues were underway Tuesday in Louisiana’s capital region after torrential rain that started a day earlier caused dangerous flash flooding in parts of that state and southeastern Texas.
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Energy From Neighboring States Made A Difference In Last February’s Historic Storm

By Elizabeth Caldwell   05/14/21  
Energy providers and lawmakers are still hashing out last February's winter storm. State climatologist Gary McManus gave on overview of the storm to an Oklahoma House committee today. He said it may not be the…
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Will Okla. disrupt Biden’s 100% clean energy goal?

By Edward Klump   05/06/21  
Reaching President Biden's goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035 would require a massive shift away from fossil fuels across the U.S. — including in red states. As Oklahoma shows, that may not be easy.…
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New wind farm coming to South Central Oklahoma

By Melissa Scavelli   05/05/21  
Enel Green Power has started construction on their 11th wind farm in Oklahoma, being called Rockhaven. The new farm will be adjacent to the Origin wind farm which has been in operation since 2015.
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State official highlights climate change as challenge for water systems

By Chris Polansky   03/23/21  
A top official at the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality testified before a U.S. Senate committee Wednesday that climate change threatens water system infrastructure across the country.
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Biden to announce moratorium on oil, gas drilling on federal land

01/26/21  
United States President Joe Biden is set to announce a wide-ranging moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on US lands, as his administration moves quickly to reverse policies on energy and the environment from…
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Expert: Pipeline’s suspension good for Oklahoma

Bu Kathryn McNutt   01/22/21  
OKLAHOMA CITY – President Joe Biden’s quick action to stop construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and to suspend oil and gas drilling on public lands is good news for Oklahoma, retired energy executive Mickey…
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Sen. Lankford denounces Biden Administration’s obstruction of Keystone XL

By Kevin Severin   01/21/21  
WASHINGTON, DC (KOKH) - Senator Lankford has issued a statement following President Biden’s climate change-related Executive Action.
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Lawmakers from Oklahoma disagree with President Biden’s order to rejoin Paris Climate Accord

By Koco News Staff   01/21/21  
Some members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation disagree with President Joe Biden’s order for the U.S. to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, a global pact forged five years ago to avert the threat of catastrophic climate…
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Biden’s administration could affect Oklahoma’s energy industry in surprising ways

By Jack Money   01/18/21  
Presidential administrations and Congresses throughout the past 40 years undoubtedly worked to nudge the nation’s energy and climate-related policies one way or another.
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CVR’s Oklahoma renewable diesel project gets board go-ahead

By Janet McGurty   01/05/21  
New York — CVR Energy received approval from its board of directors in late December to go ahead with the renewable diesel project it has planned at its 74,500 b/d Wynnewood, Oklahoma, refinery, the company said…
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Skeleton Creek Wind now producing electricity

By Enid News & Eagle   12/30/20  
The first phase of NextEra Energy Resources’ massive Skeleton Creek Project has become operational as the wind energy part of the project began generating electricity on Dec. 16.
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ALLETE Clean Energy begins operations at 303 MW Oklahoma wind farm

By Chris Galford   12/28/20  
Operations began at the Diamond Spring wind site in southern Oklahoma last week, providing 303 MW of renewable energy for corporate customers for ALLETE Clean Energy.
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Climate change: Many of the states most at risk are also the least prepared

By Megan Latshaw , Jon Links and Matt McKillop   12/09/20  
Climate change is often seen as a problem for the future, a calamity that looms over the coming decades. In fact, it is already here, and wreaking havoc.
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Oklahoma Energy Industry Partners with Education Sector

10/20/20  
The Oklahoma Energy Workforce Consortium is launching a new energy career cluster to promote the benefits of pursuing careers in energy. Energy is the highest-paying industry in the state, averaging more than $100,000 annually.
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Oklahoma Energy Workforce Consortium promotes new energy career cluster

By Staff Reporter   10/20/20  
The Oklahoma Energy Workforce Consortium (OEWC) is launching a new energy career cluster to promote the benefits of pursuing careers in energy.  Energy is the highest-paying industry in the state, averaging more than $100,000 annually.…
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Electrical deregulation puts forth simple question: Should power consumers get to choose where they buy electricity?

By Jack Money   10/20/20  
Should commercial power customers get to choose who they buy their electricity from? A nonprofit led by a man who helped work on Oklahoma's plan to deregulate electricity markets two decades ago is aiming once…
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Governor Stitt declares Oct. 19 – 23 Oklahoma Careers in Energy Week

10/20/20  
The Oklahoma Energy Workforce Consortium (OEWC) is launching a new energy career cluster to promote the benefits of pursuing careers in energy. Energy is the highest-paying industry in the state, averaging more than $100,000 annually.
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OG&E Completes Two Solar Energy Farms in Southeast Oklahoma

10/16/20  
OG&E, the electric utility subsidiary of OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE: OGE), today announced that it has completed construction of two 5 MW solar energy farms in southeast Oklahoma. Both centers are operating at full capacity.
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Oklahoma energy companies take environmental action amid rapidly changing world

By Jack Money   10/13/20  
President Donald Trump and the Republican Party argue they have done what they could during his administration to make America a leader in the nation's global energy markets.
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Hot or cold? Will your outlook on climate change influence your vote?

By Jack Money   10/11/20  
Environmentalists hoped to make this year's presidential election a referendum on climate change and how it should be addressed. But while COVID-19 and the federal government's response to the pandemic instead forced its way into…
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Energy companies taking environmental action

By Jack Money   10/11/20  
President Donald Trump and the Republican Party argue they have done what they could during his administration to make America a leader in the nation's global energy markets.
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KRMG In Depth: The case for renewable energy in Oklahoma

By Russell Mills   10/08/20  
After decades of traveling the world, working with energy executives, sheiks, wildcatters, scientists and engineers, Jack Kerfoot sat down to dinner with legendary oil man T. Boone Pickens. That conversation, Kerfoot told KRMG, led him…
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