Amid the backdrop of a recent anti-renewable energy rally at the State Capitol and the return of President Donald Trump's pro-drilling administration and energy executive orders are bills targeting wind energy, carbon capture technology and other environmental programs.
House Bill 1044, introduced by Rep. Molly Jenkins (R-Coyle), aims to set rules on the distance between wind turbines and public airports, schools or hospitals. A similar measure, Senate Bill 2, was filed by Sen. Grant Green (R-Wellston). The proposal seeks to ban the placement of new wind turbines less than about 1.7 miles from the public facilities.
It would also allow county commissioners to ban the expansion or construction of wind projects in the same jurisdiction as crude oil storage, aggregation or distribution hubs.
Rep. Rusty Cornwell’s (R-Vinita) House Bill 1093 would require wind developers to pay landowners equally for leasing their land. Those within 1,800 feet would receive the payments, “regardless of whether their property is directly used for wind turbine construction.”
“If a property located within the radius is partitioned, subdivided, or transferred, the original royalty allocated to that property shall be divided in an amount proportional to the amount of each owner's property that lies within the radius, calculated as a fraction of the total original property area within the radius,” the bill states.
The proposed law would only apply to new or expanded wind projects in the state.
The fate of the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board could be decided during the 2025 session with a vote on House Bill 1031, introduced by Rep. Gerrid Kendrix (R-Altus.) The group formed in the 1990s and facilitates abandoned oil well clean-ups through a voluntary tax fund. To date, about 20,000 orphaned sites have been restored, the board states. It also spends millions to promote pro-oil and gas education in Oklahoma classrooms.
In August, investigative nonprofit ProPublica reported some of the state’s largest oil and gas producers opted out of the board’s tax fund to help clean abandoned oil wells, totaling an $11 million refund for the companies over seven years.
The state’s sunset law determines whether a government agency will be renewed and will set a date for the board’s renewal or termination. Two years ago, the sunset bill was pushed to 2025 to give lawmakers more time to consider the organization’s future. This session’s bill would keep OERB afloat until at least July 1, 2026.
Carbon sequestration technology, used to capture emissions before or after entering the atmosphere, is also a focus of potential legislation. Sen. Dave Rader’s (R-Tulsa) Senate Bill 269 would give the Oklahoma Corporation Commission primary authority over carbon storage facilities and would establish a revolving fund for the development of the technology in the state.
StateImpact spoke with members of the emerging industry and reported on an $18.7 million federal grant to explore more carbon capture sites in the state.
Another proposal, House Bill 1147, seeks to dismantle the industry in Oklahoma. The bill is authored by Rep. Justin Humphrey (R-Lane).
One species of wildlife could also be impacted by decisions made during the session. Current regulations say hunters may kill two antlered white-tailed deer each season, but Senate Bill 338, authored by Sen. Grant Green (R-Wellston), would reduce the count to one. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation estimates there are between 650,000 and 750,000 deer across the state.
Not for the first time, the legislature may consider bills related to nuclear energy. The low-carbon energy makes up about 20% of the country’s generated power, though no reactors exist in Oklahoma today.
Senate Bill 130 would require the Corporation Commission to hire a consulting firm to conduct a feasibility study on nuclear generation in the state. Introduced by Sen. George Burns (R-Pollard), the study would outline economic and environmental advantages and challenges. A similar bill by Rep. Brad Boles (R-Marlow) is in the House.
Burns also authored a bill that would establish rules for replacing retired coal-fired power plants with nuclear infrastructure. Senate Bill 131 would require utility companies to alert the corporation commission if they elect to retire the facility and include a cost study of replacement options for the site. Companies would also be tasked with prioritizing nuclear reactors and submitting reasoning and evidence should they not move forward with the replacement.
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