Geoff Simon's Quick Connects -- February 24, 2023

• Bakken bringing in new wells, continues efforts to bring in more workers -- KFYR - TV

• Bakken looks to increase oil production by recruiting out-of-state workers -- KX News

• North Dakota Legislature passes wind turbine blade disposal bill -- Fargo Forum

• Dec. an extremely difficult month for oil and gas industry -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Bakken natural gas price hits lowest level since 2020 amid supply glut -- Natural Gas Intelligence

• ND county health director says carbon pipelines don't represent "unacceptable risk" -- Bismarck Tribune

• North Dakota House advances 3 bills that support state's investments in energy, ag -- KFYR - TV

• ND House passes bill to ensure physical polling places, ban another all-mail election -- Dickinson Press

• Local officials say state Auditor Josh Gallion is out to get them, but he says it isn't so -- Dickinson Press

• Legislators address hot topics at forum; taxes, roads, books get legislative attention -- Minot Daily News

• Workforce, child care woes create bipartisan priority for North Dakota lawmakers -- Bismarck Tribune

• Senate passes budget bill that boosts AG's Office, calls for State Crime Lab study -- Dickinson Press

• ND House backs bill that would shine light on Burgum-funded campaign group -- Dickinson Press

• House Majority Leader Lefor shares which bills in legislature could impact Stark County -- KFYR - TV

• North Dakota Senate approves measure to tighten constitutional initiative process -- Dickinson Press

• Mixed bag delivered in ND Legislature as bills on guns, voting, state investment take shape -- WDAY

• Bill to prohibit foreign ownership of real property in North Dakota passes House -- Dickinson Press

• Funding levels focus of emerging bill that deals with support for childcare providers -- Minot Daily News

• Bill to allow corporate farming passes North Dakota House by a vote of 74-20 -- KFYR - TV

• Bill allowing State Water Commission to enter into agreements with tribes passes House -- KX News

• Senators reject bill requiring economic analysis on land; concern over impact to landowners -- KX News

• State's Democrats face challenges in Bismarck, but say they have a role to play -- Dickinson Press

• Decades of dedication: Billings Co. Sheriff Pat Rummel retires after 32 years -- Dickinson Press

• MWEC staff shined bright at 2023 Apprenticeship Training and Safety conference -- Williston Herald

• Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs bringing energy development to tribal lands -- KX News

• District 2 legislators split over pair of bills surrounding explicit library materials -- The Journal

• Minot-area parents, teens react to book banning bills going before state lawmakers -- KFYR - TV

• Permit recommended for Divide County special waste facility previously shut down -- The Journal

• Northwest ND a market for drones; will take time, dedication, and money to capitalize on it -- KFYR - TV

• Williston's Woods Club daycare center celebrates grand opening of second location -- Williston Herald

• ND community leaders form non-profit aimed at attracting influx of new Americans -- Dickinson Press

• Bowman farm boy soars: A remarkable journey to the ND Aviation Hall of Fame -- Dickinson Press

• Great Plains Mobile Food Pantry to make stops across northwestern ND March 2-3 -- Williston Herald

• Williston organizations partnering to host Legislative Forum for assembly updates -- Williston Herald

• North Dakota Firefighters Association to train on alternative fuel vehicle emergencies -- KX News

• Dickinson's twenty year old River Community Center given grant for improvements -- KX News

• McKenzie County joins electric co-op leaders calling on Congress to pass permitting reform -- NRECA

• 'No margin for error': Sen. Hoeven joins local mail roundtable discussions in Minot -- Minot Daily News

• House advances bill to change faculty tenure at Bismarck State and Dickinson State -- Dickinson Press

• House passes higher ed bill featuring tuition freeze, $374M for campus projects -- Dickinson Press

• Williston Basin School District to hold meetings on school reconfiguration for next year -- KFYR - TV

• Williston State College President reacts to House funding bill, possible tuition freeze -- KFYR - TV

• Lack of state aid for Tioga school district continues to have effect on balance sheet -- Tioga Tribune

• Mrs. Hendrickx makes just about every day a celebration at Bowman County School -- KFYR - TV

• Bill proposing more responsibilities to tenured educational staff advances despite opposition -- KX News

• TrainND Northwest launches workshop-style safety leadership training program -- Williston Herald

• State higher-ed board discusses concerns about data privacy, security using TikTok -- Dickinson Press

• Minot keeps eye on school construction bill; new high school project could benefit -- Minot Daily News

• How Al Gore refashioned climate alarmism into a $330 million empire -- Climate Change Dispatch

• Is FERC taking cues from climate activists? Emails document collusion -- Real Clear Energy

• Biden's War on Coal: EPA regulations aimed at killing coal plants -- Institute for Energy Research

• Wind turbine makers demand taxpayer bailout for mounting billion-dollar losses -- American Thinker

• Alaska's carbon storage plan: Boost state coffers without cutting oil extraction -- Bismarck Tribune

• Colorado lawmakers give initial approval for storing CO2 in defunct oil and gas wells -- AP News

• Feds betting billions that 'new' nuclear technologies will help end CO2 emissions -- Bismarck Tribune

• 'No excuse': IEA tells energy firms as methane emissions rise, exceed 2020 and 2021 levels -- Reuters

• Bills filed to support Texas oil, natgas industry from California-style regulations -- The Center Square

• The US has billions for wind and solar projects. Good luck plugging them in. -- The New York Times

• EEI calls for 'urgency' in siting and permitting reform to aid booming energy industry -- Utility Dive

• Energy department staff hold stocks related to agency's work despite warnings -- Wall Street Journal

• Bills spur debate over who should build transmission: utilities or independents -- Utility Dive

• Is adverse weather mistaken for climate change? "Climate cult" misleads the public -- Eurasia Review

Geoff Simon's Quick Connects -- February 17, 2023

• North Dakota lawmakers mull future plans for offline wind turbines -- KX News

• Where can you find rare earth minerals? In North Dakota's lignite coal -- KX News

• Report: Improper method led to saltwater disposal fire near Alexander -- KFYR - TV

• New NDPC staffer learns fossil fuels are essential to quality of life -- Williston Herald

• Feds, environmental groups fight North Dakota lawsuit over federal oil leasing -- Bismarck Tribune

• ND coal executive: carbon pipeline project would allow industry to "survive in the future" -- WDAY

• Oil field pipeline spill contaminates range land, creek 6 miles northeast of Williston -- Bismarck Tribune

• ND lawmakers advance pair of bills that would financially favor state's oil industry -- Dickinson Press

• ND House passes bill for leasing transparency; issue tied to lawmaker-landlords -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota's economy continues to rise with fifth largest state increase in the country -- KX News

• Investment leaders report $8.5 billion in Legacy Fund with $1.3 billion back to general fund -- KX News

• Property tax versus income tax relief continues as the legislative session progresses -- The Journal

• North Dakota Senate passes bill to give tax credits to parents to help with childcare costs -- KFYR - TV

• School meals bill sees changes, focusing on those at or below 200% of poverty level -- KFYR - TV

• Several COVID-19 vaccinations related bills passed the North Dakota House -- Dickinson Press

• Proposal to create immigration office in North Dakota sails through Senate -- Dickinson Press

• 'Re-energize' North Dakota Scholarship bill passes Senate after seeing several changes -- KFYR - TV

• North Dakota lawmakers advance amended school security bill, headed to Senate -- KFYR - TV

• House passes bills cracking down on signatures for ballot initiatives after 2022 dispute -- Fargo Forum

• Bill to prohibit ND land ownership by foreign adversaries amended on Senate floor -- The Dakotan

• North Dakota House overwhelmingly passes bill to preserve department head emails -- KX News

• North Dakota lawmakers say they want to get tougher on potential cases of petition fraud -- KX News

• North Dakota lawmakers toss several bills to boost campaign finance transparency -- Dickinson Press

• State senate passes resolution to save TRNP herd of longhorn steers and wild horses -- KX News

• Minot Air Force Base completes Glory Trip nuclear weapon test launch; mission a success -- KX News

• Three Affiliated Tribes pursue purchase of another 1.1 acre Las Vegas property -- Minot Daily News

• Billings County revives controversial bridge project after shift in commission support -- Dickinson Press

• Senate passes bill expanding Rural Attorney Program, doubling number of participants -- KFYR - TV

• Three year grant funds Aging in Community program to help people in rural ND towns -- KFYR - TV

• Williams County leaders make efforts to attract more people to western North Dakota -- KX News

• Public gets look at Minot's proposed city plan; final draft to go to council in May -- Minot Daily News

• Burnout hits child protection and family services workers -- Williston Herald

• North Dakota Senate advances bill to give parents tax credit for day care costs -- Bismarck Tribune

• High school, college students highlight Career and Technical Education at ND Capitol -- KFYR - TV

• Tioga School Board selects finalists in search for worthy superintendent successor -- Tioga Tribune

• Mrs. Smith at South Heart bringing Future City Competition champions to Washington DC -- KFYR - TV

• Ray Elementary celebrates announcement of 'High Performing Title I school' award -- Tioga Tribune

• North Dakota lawmaker proposing required cyber security courses for high schoolers -- KX News

• Senate passes bill prohibiting instruction of 'specified' concepts at ND colleges -- Bismarck Tribune

• One Bowman County paraprofessional offers support, unconditional love to students -- KFYR - TV

• Bowbells superintendent shares pros and cons of teaching in North Dakota's rural areas -- KX News

• How university research can help 'economic vibrancy of the state' -- University of North Dakota

• Cyber Madness tournament helps state's high schoolers get involved in cybersecurity -- KFYR - TV

• The fight to define green hydrogen, with billions of dollars at stake -- Wall Street Journal

• Texas residents grill US energy regulators over supervision of LNG processing plants -- Reuters

• US energy firms cut number of natural gas rigs by most in a week since October 2017 -- Reuters

• Opinion: Mr. President---IGNORE Vladimir Putin and Unleash Texas -- World Oil

• US shale oil and natural gas output set to rise to record highs in March says new EIA report -- Reuters

• US oil industry flags concern about proposed plan to crack down on methane emissions -- Reuters

• Pipelines are the safest way to transport oil and natural gas, and we need more of them -- Forbes

• US to sell 26M barrels of crude from Strategic Petroleum Reserve as mandated by Congress -- Reuters

• Short-Term Energy Outlook forecasts US refinery utilization to average over 90% in 2023, 2024 -- EIA

• OPEC has raised its 2023 global oil demand growth, first upward revision in months -- Reuters

• State Of Montana sues Portland, Oregon over illegal fossil fuel terminal ordinance -- Montana DOJ

• Exxon Mobil to use Honeywell carbon capture technology at proposed hydrogen facility -- Reuters

• Concerns about blackouts in the Midwest pit renewables against fossil fuels -- Indianapolis Star