Geoff Simon's Quick Connects -- January 31, 2025

• North Dakota coal industry likely to benefit from nat'l energy emergency -- KFYR - TV

• North Dakota's Bakken Region could be sleeping giant, says researcher -- WZFG

• Study pegs potential $9B tax impact for CO2 in ND oil wells -- North Dakota Monitor

• Energy Progress and Innovation Conference underway in North Dakota -- KX News

• Ban on eminent domain for CO2 pipelines passes SD House, on to Senate -- South Dakota Searchlight

• Piping connection leak causes produced water spill eight miles north of Wildrose -- Minot Daily News

• Fueling the future of AI in ND; natural gas infrastructure could reach limit by 2027 -- Bismarck Tribune

• Senate Bill 2320 looks to remove property tax exemptions for interstate carbon pipelines -- KX News

• Governor Kelly Armstrong talks state politics and property taxes in exclusive interview -- KFYR - TV

• Some city leaders concerned by governor's tax plan, but this mayor stands with it -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota Senate votes down change to primary election ballots with 42-4 margin -- Dickinson Press

• House lawmakers approve bill defining start of term limits law 64-28; send it to Senate -- KFYR - TV

• House approves resolution making it harder to change state's Constitution -- North Dakota Monitor

• House kills bill that would up interstate speed to 80 mph, require tractor permits -- Dickinson Press

• Rob Port: It's time to do something about the dumb bills and resolutions in Bismarck -- Fargo Forum

• House Bill 1330 aims to force divestment of Chinese companies in the Legacy Fund -- KFYR - TV

• North Dakota Senate hears House bill looking to replace state-owned Chinese drones -- KFYR - TV

• House Bill 1191 looks to establish Office of Entrepreneurship to foster business growth -- KX News

• ND House passed a bill ending Daylight Saving Time, forcing permanent standard time -- KFYR - TV

• Area legislators answer questions surrounding legislative session at public forum -- Minot Daily News

• Residents of Alexander fight to keep their post office following its temporary closure -- Williston Herald

• District 26 legislators provide update on third week of legislative session -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Another $107 million needed to continue work on Northwest Area Water Supply -- Minot Daily News

• Williston City Commission approves $332K in STAR Fund grants to support businesses -- KX News

• North Dakota House advances bill requiring schools to have cell phone policy -- North Dakota Monitor

• North Dakota House passes bill on tax credit for homeschooling with a 65-27 vote -- Bismarck Tribune

• Proposal to ban sports and extracurriculars on holidays to preserve family time fails -- The Journal

• Legislators propose funding options for free school meals for North Dakota students -- Dickinson Press

• Debate over public charter schools begins in North Dakota Legislature -- North Dakota Monitor

• New bill aims to allow schools to teach kids foreign languages as early as kindergarten -- KX News

• New poll shows South Dakotans oppose education savings accounts, school vouchers -- KFYR - TV

• Education Committee discusses bill that would give first-time ND teachers signing bonus -- KX News

• Trump signs order directing federal gov't to promote school choice nationwide -- The Center Square

• Searching for subs: rural school district expands search for qualified substitute teachers -- KFYR - TV

• Hess Corp. announces $15,000 donation to Minot Public School Foundation -- Minot Daily News

• Former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum confirmed as Interior secretary -- North Dakota Monitor

• Interior secretary appointment a plum one for Doug Burgum, sweetened by spot on NSC -- Politico

• Burgum's Interior Dept. pauses renewable energy projects on public lands -- Oklahoma Energy Today

• Fedorchak may be, on arrival, the most experienced on energy issues on Capitol Hill -- E&E News

• Big Oil in no rush to 'drill baby drill' despite Trump agenda; focus on shareholder returns -- Reuters

• Mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. upstream oil and gas industry hit $105 billion in 2024 -- Oil Price

• China is believed to be constructing a huge fusion research site; could help weapons design -- Oil Price

• The only "energy emergency" is the one created by Trump's predecessor when in office -- City Journal

• President Trump betting that surging energy demand will revive declining coal industry -- E&E News

• United States LNG exports may get a big boost from Asian importers over Trump tariff threat -- IER

• Lee Zeldin confirmed to head EPA as Trump vows to trim climate regs -- Climate Change Dispatch

• Trump administration moved to toss Joe Biden's stringent fuel economy standards -- Daily Caller

• Six things to know about your electric utility's costs and reliability challenges -- The Honest Broker

• Trump freezes federal grants, blocks Biden DEI and climate spending spree -- Washington Times

Geoff Simon's Quick Connects -- January 24, 2025

• About 12% of North Dakota's oil output shut down by cold weather -- Dickinson Press

• Flaring of natural gas in ND drops from 31% to 5% between 2011-2023 -- KX News

• ND oil industry likes Trump's policies, but can production go up? -- Bismarck Tribune

• ND oil production expected to remain fairly steady through 2025 -- Minot Daily News

• Corps of Engineers says Standing Rock can't sue over pipeline inaction -- North Dakota Monitor

• North Dakota electric cooperatives to receive $1.5B in clean energy funding -- Bismarck Tribune

• Pipe leak causes produced water spill at well site 16 miles northwest of Epping -- Minot Daily News

• Ron Ness & Jason Bohrer: Securing ND's energy future through innovation -- Minot Daily News

• Well failure results in Bowman County produced water and crude oil spill -- Bowman County Pioneer

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

• Change is 'eminent': Property-rights fight transforms 2025 SD Legislature -- South Dakota Searchlight

• North Dakota lawmakers set preliminary revenue forecast for budget planning -- Bismarck Tribune

• State's farmers, rural communities look to fix dilapidated backroads with SB 2142 -- Bismarck Tribune

• North Dakota Legislature eyes $211M to fund homelessness and housing solutions -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota at the center of key military missions to protect against adversaries -- Grand Forks Herald

• Schneider prepares to pass baton as North Dakota's US Attorney after eventful term -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota senators recommend state court judge Nicholas Chase for US attorney -- Dickinson Press

• Legislative committee votes to tweak North Dakota lawmaker term limits -- North Dakota Monitor

• Legislators hear trio of bills that could change the way elections operate in ND -- Bismarck Tribune

• Hoeven, Cramer push for Trump to keep Dallas Carlson as North Dakota US Marshal -- KFYR - TV

• Bill to require voter approval of appointed auditors receives do-not-pass vote -- Bismarck Tribune

• Williams County Commission compiles its list of legislative priorities for the first time -- KFYR - TV

• Devon Energy opens applications for Inclusion Grants through February 28 -- Oklahoma Energy Today

• Minot City Council to send message opposing local government spending caps -- Minot Daily News

• Williston lawmaker proposes bill seeking easier method of filing school district complaints -- KFYR - TV

• House passes bill requiring school districts to allow time for students to vote in elections -- KFYR - TV

• House bill would reduce time for North Dakota teachers to get lifetime license -- North Dakota Monitor

• ND House lawmakers to decide on potential changes for school transportation funding -- KFYR - TV

• North Dakota bill sparks debate over displaying Ten Commandments in schools -- North Dakota Monitor

• School Meals for All initiative can make a real difference for North Dakota families -- Jamestown Sun

• House bill would mandate morning Pledge of Allegiance for all public schools in North Dakota -- KFGO

• School leaders oppose bill putting superintendent in charge of districts' compliance -- Dickinson Press

• Bottineau geology students propose Knife River flint ND's first ever state rock -- North Dakota Monitor

• State Superintendent Baesler confirms meeting with President Trump's transition team -- KFYR - TV

• Trump to use emergency powers to fast-track generation for AI, coal plants in the picture -- Utility Dive

• Energy Freedom Plan: 112 actions the new admin can take to unleash American energy -- Alex Epstein

• Trump announces second withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement shortly after inauguration -- The Hill

• Oil lobbying group joins GOP states suing White House over offshore drilling restrictions -- The Hill

• Trump to declare 'national energy emergency' to boost record high oil and gas production -- Reuters

• Lomborg: Climate change fanatics want to bankrupt the entire world for little to no reward -- NY Post

• Meteorologist Joe Bastardi: Countering false man-made climate change claims on wildfires -- CFACT

• Donald Trump putting weight of the federal government behind fossil-fuel production -- Financial Post

• Fanciful dreams of green hydrogen powering the future have become fading mirage -- RealClearEnergy

• Germany may have to rely on coal-fired power generation longer than previously expected -- Oil Price

• Burgum recommended for confirmation by Energy and Natural Resources Committee -- KFYR - TV

• With Trump pivot back to pro-oil and gas policies, renewable geothermal energy finds favor -- KX News

• Trump is delivering: 'Golden' US oil, gas, LNG age and offshore wind pause in effect -- Offshore Energy

• Trump executive orders halt federal wind development, declare energy emergency -- Utility Dive

• How Trump is quickly dismantling the climate-industrial complex, the end is near -- Irrational Fear

• ESG collapse exposes the folly of woke investing; sustainability mostly meaningless -- Townhall