OREC had a last-minute field trip for its October meeting, to Covanta Energy up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A decent group of us were able to make it (even though the email announcement did not include the date), and we definitely learned a lot! We learned Covanta Energy’s waste-to-energy (WTE) plant is the single largest renewable energy facility in Oklahoma. WTE facilities are an excellent alternative to traditional landfills because they reduce the land area needed for disposal of household trash and they capture the energy stored inside of it.

The Oklahoma Deparment of Commerce (ODOC) is serious about getting funds to Oklahoma State Agencies and other Public Buildings.

As promised earlier this year by OREC guest speaker Loyd Drain, the SEAM Study from The National Renewable Energy Laboratories has been released. They held a large symposium at Iowa State University on July 26, 2018. The study itself was released there, and multiple guest speakers presented on topics related to the study.

Oklahoma government is getting some much deserved help investing in energy efficiency. Without any RPS, Oklahoma hasn’t had any mandatory spending on renewable energy or energy efficiency. Between the inattention and the annual budget cuts, all public infrastructure has taken a hit. Specifically, by not investing in our buildings, our state has locked itself into high operating costs.