Geoff Simon's Quick Connects -- February 14, 2025

• Critical minerals research of North Dakota lignite shows promise -- Minot Daily News

• North Dakota lawmakers consider funding for tribal oil spills study -- Dickinson Press

• ND's mineral resources director says energy industry in transition -- Minot Daily News

• Pair of anti-carbon capture bills fails in North Dakota Senate -- Bismarck Tribune

• Oil wells are up in most recent count from North Dakota, new natural gas pipeline planned -- KX News

• Port: Things are looking bright for CO2 capture under the Trump administration -- Fargo Forum

• On the House Floor: Fedorchak offers solutions for the nation's energy reliability crisis -- News release

• Cramer questions North Dakota witness Kevin Connors on CO2 Capture and Storage -- News release

• Senate resolution calls for expanding PSC from 3 to 5, dividing members into districts -- KFYR - TV

• North Dakota lawmakers advance property tax reform bills as deadline approaches -- Bismarck Tribune

• Proposed ballot initiative targets lawmaker public records, salaries, conflicts -- North Dakota Monitor

• HB 1493 proposes repeal of North Dakota immigration office amid workforce crisis -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota Legislature eyes $300M plan to rebuild State Hospital in Jamestown -- Bismarck Tribune

• Senator's son pleads guilty in crash that preceded chase leading to deputy's death -- Associated Press

• Armstrong's plans for property tax relief, affordable housing, criminal justice reform -- Dickinson Press

• Dohrmann to chair ND Military Commission; Armstrong signs executive order -- Office of the Governor

• State asked to move away from foreign drones on privacy and security concerns -- Minot Daily News

• House committee favors resolution calling for federal purchase of Greenland on 9-3 vote -- KFYR - TV

• State geologist, team, students uncover 13,500 year-old bones in Burke County -- Minot Daily News

• ND Senate bill to support towns of 8,500 people or fewer passes on to appropriations -- Dickinson Press

• Mixed reaction from county officials on infrastructure funding bill Enget is co-sponsoring -- The Journal

• Billings County Commission reinstates state's attorney Pat Wier after public outcry -- Dickinson Press

• ND District 23 GOP executive committee offers 'no confidence' vote to Rep. Rios -- Williston Herald

• Undocumented immigrants picked up in Mercer County during traffic stop -- The Center Republican

• Minot Air Force Base economic impact grows to $651M in 2024; $30M increase over 2023 -- KFYR - TV

• Bills look to expand student opportunities through educational savings accounts -- North Dakota Monitor

• North Dakota House advances 1 of 3 ESA bills while Senate considers 2 more -- North Dakota Monitor

• North Dakota lawmakers to discuss adding intelligent design to science curriculum -- Dickinson Press

• Bills introduced in House seek to add new required curriculum to North Dakota schools -- KFYR - TV

• Williston State College sees enrollment increase of over 20% for spring semester -- Williston Herald

• Tenure ban for North Dakota colleges withdrawn, but policy debate continues -- North Dakota Monitor

• Trump blasts 'big con job' Dept. of Education, would like it closed 'immediately' -- Business & Politics

• House defeats bill to display Ten Commandments in public schools, colleges -- North Dakota Monitor

• Williston Basin CTE expands offerings, looks to future growth after first 5 months -- Williston Herald

• SD legislative committee endorses ban on taxpayer-funded education lobbying -- SD Searchlight

• FERC approves PJM's fast-track shovel-ready power plant interconnection plan -- Utility Dive

• Europe's oil demand could rise as natural gas soars to $100 a barrel equivalent amid cold -- Oil Price

• China's 15% tariff on American coal imports likely to minimally impact US producers -- RealClearEnergy

• China's coal power construction is at a decade-high despite soaring wind and solar -- Oil Price

• New database proves that resistance to Big Wind/Big Solar is real, growing, and global -- Robert Bryce

• Data center demand to push US power use to record highs in 2025 and 2026, EIA says -- Reuters

• President Trump picks oil industry vets for key posts in EPA and Interior Department -- The Hill

• EPA admin Zeldin finds, demands return of $20 billion Biden 'threw off the Titanic' on his way out -- BPR

• US drillers add oil and gas rigs for second week in a row; total count still down from last year -- Reuters

• Chevron plans to lay off up to 20% of its workforce, according to a company spokesperson -- The Hill

• Federal judge has again scrapped a lawsuit launched by California youth against EPA -- E&E News

• 15 US Senate Republicans call for $1,000 tax on new EV sales to pay for road repairs -- Reuters

• Nearly 95% of countries have missed UN deadline to submit new 2035 climate pledges -- Carbon Brief

• End of coal is nowhere in sight; developing Asian markets boosting coal-fired generation -- Oil Price

• Net zero dreams meet energy affordability reality; public pushing back on rising costs -- Oil Price

Geoff Simon's Quick Connects -- February 7, 2025

• Second natural gas pipeline out of the Bakken proposed for ND -- Bismarck Tribune

• Industrial Commission awards $6.3M for Oil and Gas Research Program -- KX News

• North Dakota federal judge Traynor axes environmental rule -- North Dakota Monitor

• Utilities push back on proposed regs for big ND power users -- Bismarck Tribune

• Legislative efforts to "make carbon dioxide great again" in Wyoming fail to advance -- WyoFile

• Tank liner tear causes release of nearly 41,000 barrels of fresh water southeast of Ray -- KFYR - TV

• Scout Energy reports 12,600 gallon crude oil spill five miles northwest of Maxbass -- Minot Daily News

• New house bill would increase road use fees for EVs to help fund road infrastructure -- KX News

• BLM oil and gas lease sale in January brought in $11.314M in high bids received -- Minot Daily News

• North Dakota among 22 states suing New York over new climate change superfund -- KX News

• $500 million property tax overhaul clears committee with flexibility on caps -- North Dakota Monitor

• Senator Kevin Cramer weighs in on disruptive opening weeks in 'Trumpworld' -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota senators not overly concerned by tariff threats against Canada, Mexico -- Fargo Forum

• Legislative hearing at ND State Penitentiary highlights rehabilitation programs -- North Dakota Monitor

• Top pictures from Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak's first state work period -- Julie Fedorchak

• Small group protests government actions of Trump, Musk outside ND Capitol -- North Dakota Monitor

• Armstrong is backing SB 2308 which looks to minimize and streamline state boards -- KFYR - TV

• Trio of bills aims to improve reentry efforts, reduce prison overcrowding in state -- Bismarck Tribune

• North Dakota's Andrea Travnicek expected to follow Burgum to Interior Department -- Fargo Forum

• North Dakota lawmakers introduce resolution calling for federal protection of wild horses -- KFYR-TV

• Local leaders concerned about impact of property tax relief efforts on county budgets -- The Journal

• Conditional use permit for cryptocurrency mining facility approved in Williams County -- Williston Herald

• Minot's annual State of the City address set for Feb. 20; free and open to public -- Minot Daily News

• Dunn County Commission terminates Road Superintendent following a 4-1 vote -- Dickinson Press

• Slew of bills on school choice and ESAs spark debate in North Dakota Legislature -- Bismarck Tribune

• NDSU President Cook advocates for New Horizon Initiative; meeting workforce needs -- NDSU

• SB 2286 allocates $55 million to add shared health education space at UND -- Dickinson Press

• Hazen school board votes to keep four staff positions previously funded by 'ESSER' -- Hazen Star

• Charter school bill narrowly fails in House while Senate considers similar bill -- North Dakota Monitor

• Williston Basin School Board hopes to chose superintendent, board member this spring -- KFYR - TV

• Free school meal bills draw bipartisan support, though funding questions linger -- North Dakota Monitor

• Several North Dakota lawmakers want Pledge of Allegiance to be mandatory in schools -- KFYR - TV

• North Dakota's NAEP scores provide reassurance and motivation for improvement -- Fargo Forum

• MSU, John Hoeven Elementary partner to give teaching majors real-world experience -- KFYR - TV

• US oil production falls by 122,000 barrels per day in November from record high in October -- Reuters

• US natural gas prices surge 8.4% on tariffs, recovering from a nearly 12% drop last week -- Oil Price

• Trump and Trudeau agreed to a pause in implementing 25% tariffs for at least a month -- The Hill

• New EPA chief Lee Zeldin targets anti-Trump bureaucrats in agency, reduction coming -- Daily Caller

• 'Powering the Great American Comeback': The legend of Lee Zeldin comes to the EPA -- Breitbart

• Senate confirms fracking CEO Chris Wright to lead Energy Department on vote of 59-38 -- The Hill

• US power grid is becoming dangerously unreliable and we need coal to save it -- RealClearEnergy

• Trump looks for ways to cancel $400B in clean energy loans granted by US Dept of Energy -- Oil Price

• Anticipated trade war with China, effects could ripple throughout US energy sector -- E&E News

• Trump admin reopens millions of acres for drilling in rollback of Biden climate agenda -- Free Beacon

• Green energy groups cling to tax credits as GOP looks to end Biden-era climate subsidies -- Daily Caller