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

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