Geoff Simon's Quick Connects -- December 15, 2023

• ND Supreme Court to hear pipeline survey access case -- North Dakota Monitor

• Researchers find cost-effective way to extract rare-earth elements from coal -- MPR

• Alaska legislators travel to ND to learn about carbon capture efforts -- Alaska Beacon

• Many Heartland Hydrogen Hub details will take years to finalize -- Bismarck Tribune

• North Dakota energy sector sees slowed growth in Q3 sales -- McKenzie County Farmer

• North Dakota regulators worry new methane rule could cost jobs, thousands of barrels of oil -- InForum

• Bakken, Permian take spotlight in quarterly federal oil, natural gas auctions -- Natural Gas Intelligence

• Public Service Commission approves MDU request for interim natural gas rate hike -- Bismarck Tribune

• New Mexico, the No. 2 oil-producing US state, braces for possible end to income bonanza -- KX News

• ND PSC inviting comments regarding certificate of corridor and route permit transfer -- The Beacon

• General fund revenue 10.4% higher than state forecasted during budgeting -- North Dakota Monitor

• 3rd quarter taxable sales in ND up from 2022; economic activity might be slowing -- Bismarck Tribune

• ND League of Women Voters works to spur more candidates for 2024 election -- North Dakota Monitor

• North Dakota GOP taps next executive director; third person to hold role this year -- Bismarck Tribune

• CPKC Holiday Train returns to North Dakota this weekend, making six stops through state -- KFYR - TV

• State agencies collect over 13,000 food items in third year of Auditor's Office challenge -- KX News

• State Senator Dale Patten seeking re-election in McKenzie, Dunn County's District 26 -- KX News

• Slain Mercer County deputy remembered as dedicated lawman, family man, friend -- Bismarck Tribune

• FEMA approves $15.8M in public assistance for Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative -- KX News

• Divide County to hear public comments about potential changes to solar ordinance -- The Journal

• Crosby City Council looks to fill open mayor's seat after Vassen cites plans to move -- The Journal

• Stark County Sheriff's Office adopts safer restraints, abandons dated method -- Dickinson Press

• Williston Police Department officers to receive $1,400 bonus thanks to state grant -- KFYR-TV

• Construction on Williston's US 2, 2nd Ave W intersection starting in 2025 say officials -- KFYR - TV

• Minot Air Force Base a major winner defense bill passed by Congress this week -- Minot Daily News

• Wabek School comes back to life after Andes undertakes its restoration -- McLean County Independent

• Dreams of white Christmas in western ND unlikely to come true this year -- Bowman County Pioneer

• Unqualified teachers are in the classroom due to North Dakota's teacher shortage -- KX News

• Williston school board votes to keep 'not age-appropriate' library books on the shelves -- KFYR - TV

• Lincoln Elementary in Beach transforms learning landscape with $8,208 DPI grant -- Dickinson Press

• Deliberations over next Minot Public Schools superintendent to spill into next week -- KFYR - TV

• NDSU leaders request 'refresh' of funding formula for higher education institutions -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota seeks CDL shortcuts to remedy bus driver shortage -- North Dakota Monitor

• ND Assistant Principal of the Year winner from Lewis and Clark North Shore Plaza -- Minot Daily News

• Five WCHS art students recognized at Badlands Art Association Art Show -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Wyoming innovates to combat climate change as part of "all-of-the-above" energy policy -- CBS News

• New pipelines to bring significant volumes of natgas to export terminals under construction -- US EIA

• Grid monitor warns of blackouts as coal plants retire; debate over slowing retirements -- E&E News

• FTC opens inquiry of Chevron-Hess merger, marking 2nd review this week of major oil deal -- KX News

• Unprecedented COP28 agreement unlikely to prompt upheaval in US energy landscape -- The Hill

• Oil-rich Saudi Arabia urging nations to take action on growing climate threat of wind, solar -- E&E News

• India, 3rd largest crude importer, to boost refining capacity by 1M bpd each year until 2028 -- Oil Price

• World oil demand to rise faster than expected to 1.1 million barrels per day in 2024 says IEA -- Reuters

• What do China and India know about coal that Biden and Democrats don't? -- Real Clear Energy

• Lesson for fossil fuel advocates' from COP28: Stop "Arguing to 0," start "Arguing to 100" -- Alex Epstein

• USA Today claims weather getting weirder, more extreme; Data shows it's not -- Climate Realism

• Climate change advocacy: Is it incompetence or intentional fraud? -- Manhattan Contrarian

Geoff Simon's Quick Connects -- December 8, 2023

• North Dakota PSC will hold hearing on pipeline ordinances this month -- The Gazette

• Standing Rock Sioux Tribe need not rely on US government to bring power -- BBC

• ND researchers find cost-effective way to extract rare-earths from coal -- MPR News

• BLM competitive oil and gas lease sale in North Dakota nets $7,703,153 -- TSL News

• Armstrong takes charge of 'high-profile' congressional delegation to climate summit -- Dickinson Press

• Wyoming Energy Authority recommends state spend $37.5 million on six energy projects -- WyoFile

• State legislative committee talks autonomy and energy workforce at EERC -- University of North Dakota

• Xcel Energy names new president for Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota -- Daily Energy Insider

• Doug Burgum suspends presidential campaign; still has option to run as governor -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota representatives respond to Gov. Burgum dropping out of presidential race -- KFYR - TV

• How ND lawmakers gave $23.4M in 'passthrough' grants to private entities this year -- Dickinson Press

• California has lower inbound domestic immigration rate than North Dakota -- The Center Square

• NDDOT advises against speed limit reduction on I-94 after comprehensive study -- Dickinson Press

• Drivers offer different options to make US 83 and ND 23 intersection safer -- KFYR-TV

• Downtown Dickinson's longstanding 'Holiday Kickoff' lights up Legacy Square -- Dickinson Press

• McKenzie County Community Benefits Fund awards $13,180 in grants -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Painted Woods residents sue over claim that data center 'noise came to them' -- Williston Herald

• Minot City Council extends $27.5K contract with Retail Coach for additional year -- Minot Daily News

• Hettinger's West River Health Services unveils $250K world class surgical upgrade -- Dickinson Press

• $10,000 up for grabs for Bowman Co. Community Challenge top project -- Bowman County Pioneer

• Hazen City Commission prepares for upcoming and potential projects in the new year -- Hazen Star

• Garrison Area Resource Centers answers city council's questions -- McLean County Independent

• Maintaining enrollment numbers at rural North Dakota colleges offers challenges -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota schools seek state's help as need for special education teachers increase -- KX News

• Growing Alexander School District attempting another bond vote for expansion Dec. 19 -- KFYR-TV

• Focus group sessions set with Minot Public Schools superintendent candidates -- Minot Daily News

• Divide County students from high school to elementary presenting Christmas concerts -- The Journal

• North Dakota United new study finds state's educators concerned about teacher retention -- KX News

• Kirsten Baesler announces grants bringing innovation to Wyndmere and Beach schools -- KX News

• Biden's new methane rule to hamper U.S. oil, gas production, trade associations warn -- World Oil

• Climate Envoy Kerry indicates US backs 'largely' phasing out fossil fuels at global summit -- The Hill

• OPEC oil output fell in November in the first monthly drop since July found Reuters survey -- KFGO

• John Kerry spins COP28 comments that 'no science' backs fossil fuel elimination push -- Daily Caller

• Gavin Newsom's 10 favorite myths about energy and climate, all are refuted -- Alex Epstein

• There is 'no science' behind calls for fossil fuel phase-out, according to COP28 president -- Oil Price

• U.S. crude production set record for September, highlighting challenge to Saudi Arabia -- Reuters

• Congressional Republicans railing against Biden methane rule, COP28 funding promise -- E&E News

• Carbon dioxide reduction schemes are collapsing, and climate advocates know it -- CTUP

• Exxon Mobil CEO urges COP28 to focus on reducing emissions, not phasing out fossil fuels -- CNBC

• Billions in U.S. funding hasn't convinced developing world to ditch coal -- Wall Street Journal

• New Mexico floats plan at COP28 to divert wastewater to clean energy manufacturing -- Reuters

• Never mind their private jets, attack the climate mob's bad science -- The Conservative Woman

Geoff Simon's Quick Connects -- December 1, 2023

• Expanded partnership makes Coal Creek Station "fully circular" -- Power Engineering

• Chevron's major acquisition energizes Bakken oil production -- Petroleum Economist

• CO2 storage projects receive Industrial Commission funding -- Bismarck Tribune

• CO2 pipeline debate spawns new organization in South Dakota -- SD Searchlight

• Educational meeting on orphan oil wells will be held Wednesday, Dec. 6, in Mohall -- Minot Daily News

• Wind deployments drop substantially in 2022 for Minnesota and rest of the US -- American Experiment

• Utilities target transmission upgrades to move wind power from Dakotas, Minnesota -- Bismarck Tribune

• Vertical construction underway on Basin Electric's Pioneer Generation Station expansion -- KFYR - TV

• Young activists who won Montana case want to stop plant on Yellowstone River -- Bismarck Tribune

• School transportation funding study discussed during legislative task force meeting -- KFYR - TV

• Senate candidate Katrina Christiansen and family safe after crash in South Dakota -- Dickinson Press

• Bank of North Dakota receives "A+/Stable" rating from Standard & Poor's review -- Bismarck Tribune

• Governor and First Lady host annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the State Capitol -- KFYR - TV

• Coalition of North Dakota video producers seek investigation into Dept of Commerce grants -- KX News

• 22 residents file lawsuit against Atlas Power and Williams County over data center noise -- KFYR - TV

• Bowman Driver License closed during city hall renovations; February 2024 reopen expected -- NDDOT

• Decision on the future of wild horses in a North Dakota national park expected next year -- KFYR - TV

• Newly announced Rural Workforce Housing Grant accepting applications until Jan. 8 -- The Journal

• USPS unveils swift action plan for mail delivery, workforce woes in Dickinson -- Dickinson Press

• 28 rural North Dakota Critical Access Hospitals recognized for performance excellence -- KX News

• Aldevron co-founder donates $10 million to Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library -- Dickinson Press

• Blue Santa program gears up again to provide Christmas to area children -- McKenzie County Farmer

• City of Williston rings in the holiday season with their annual tree lighting ceremony -- KFYR - TV

• Dickinson City Commission opts out of PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' settlement -- Dickinson Press

• Minot Public School board selects four finalists to interview to be next superintendent -- KFYR - TV

• Williston Schools, Williston Parks and Rec looking for public input on community surveys -- KFYR - TV

• Ray Public School stops out-of-district open enrollment; building, buses at full capacity -- The Journal

• Minot State University supports students' mental health for academic success -- Minot Daily News

• North Dakota State extends scholarship brought amid Minnesota tuition program worries -- US News

• Educators across North Dakota learn new grading methods at Davies High School -- Valley News Live

• Divide County district's special education director resigns just a few months into contract -- The Journal

• Biden rule takes lunch money from schools that reject gender, sexuality agenda -- The Center Square

• Killdeer students and law enforcement come together for 'Shop with a Cop' program -- Dickinson Press

• Biden admin gave $3B loan to solar company Sunnova accused of scamming elderly -- Free Beacon

• Biden's EV push speeds past market demand; dealerships lose, taxpayers get bill -- Washington Times

• Connecticut governor withdraws electric vehicle mandate in blow to environmentalists -- Fox News

• More than 3,000 auto dealers sign letter opposing Biden's EV mandate -- Fox Business News

• White House stalls action on ethanol expansion requests in Midwest amid price concerns -- Reuters

• US kicks off a spate of oil and gas auctions across the west just as COP28 gets underway -- Reuters

• White House official reports Biden to skip UN climate summit; no reason given for absence -- The Hill

• VP Kamala Harris heads to climate conference with 'biggest carbon footprint in history' -- UK Daily Mail

• New Google advanced geothermal electricity project could be a milestone for clean energy -- AP News

• NARUC launches initiative to enhance gas-electric sector coordination, boost reliability -- Utility Dive

• India looks to triple coal production from underground mining to meet energy demand -- Oil Price

• Europe relies heavily on natural gas despite calls to phase out fossil fuels -- Natural Gas Intelligence

• US DOE announces funding aimed at giving second life to coal communities -- Energy News Network

• No amount of subsidies will ever make wind/solar grid economically feasible -- Manhattan Contrarian