Purpose
Review and analyze all legislation and proposed rules and regulations that impact Oklahoma's energy and natural resource sector.
2020 Legislative Initiatives
State Agenda
- Support the Oklahoma Water Resources Board's (OWRB) water planning authority to ensure certainty for Oklahoma business when working with the OWRB to obtain water permits, and continue opposition of legislatively-created regional water planning groups
- Oppose any policy that results in less water being available for use by cities and towns, business and industry, agriculture, oil and natural gas, mining, tourism and other beneficial uses as defined by current law and promote policy that increases water availability
- Support the retention and protection of the rights and private property aspects of Oklahoma's surface and groundwater laws
- Support completion of statutorily required groundwater basin studies and equal proportionate share determinations to ensure certainty for Oklahoma business
- Support funding for water resource infrastructure development
- Support efforts to expand development of affordable and functional natural gas vehicles, electric vehicles, and all other alternative fuel vehicles and strategically expand natural gas fueling and electric charging infrastructure
- Support the rights of industry, public and private land and mineral owners to be free from burdensome regulations due to candidate, threatened, and endangered species
- Support efforts to ensure state primacy over pipeline safety as directed by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)
- Support state primacy over environmental regulations and energy and natural resource industry operations
- Support incentives for or voluntary initiatives to increase water conservation, reuse or other similar efforts statewide and with tribal and private partners to develop water availability
- Oppose any unnecessary regulatory intrusion into energy industry operations
- Support and protect the state’s current eminent domain laws for energy infrastructure development
- Support Oklahoma’s current oil and natural gas pooling laws to protect the development of Oklahoma’s resources for the benefit of mineral owners, the state budget and economic development
- Support efforts to streamline and improve efficiencies and upgrade IT infrastructure at the Corporation Commission. Support the use of the FY 2020 appropriations increase as a permanent fund to make IT improvements.
- Oppose state regulations on energy and natural resources that are more stringent than federal laws and regulations.
- Support efforts to modernize county assessment procedures for Oklahoma’s energy and agriculture industries
- Support efforts to expand energy infrastructure capacity
Federal Agenda
- Support efforts to expand energy infrastructure capacity
- Support any federal agency rules under the Clean Water Act expanding state jurisdiction over water
- Oppose the effort to tighten federal ozone standards until there is compliance in all regions
- Support regional solutions rather than federal mandates on energy and natural resource issues
- Support funding for water resource infrastructure development
- Support the rights of industry, public and private land and mineral owners to be free from burdensome regulations due to candidate, threatened, and endangered species
- Oppose sue and settle practices of federal agencies and the U.S. Department of Justice
- Support consistency between the regions of the EPA
RESEARCH & RESOURCES
Issue Brief: Energy Industry in Oklahoma
Report: Economic Impact of the Oil & Gas Industry on Oklahoma
Executive Summary: Economic Impact of the Oil & Gas Industry on Oklahoma
