Earlier this year, the Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and Environment released two key plans to help guide the state’s energy sector: the Oklahoma State Energy & Environment Plan, and the Oklahoma Energy Assurance Plan. The two plans aim to position Oklahoma as a leader in energy, focusing on “all of the above” energy solutions while ensuring its energy resources are available and resilient in the face of future disasters.
The two plans complement one another to meet the state’s energy goals. The Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and Environment developed the State Energy & Environment Plan at the request of Governor Stitt to highlight the state’s energy sector and position the state to play a leading role in energy in the next decade. The strategies within the plan aim to help the state retain its place as a top five oil producer, gas producer, and wind generator, and to grow solar production and electricity exports to nearby states. The plan also focuses on ensuring that Oklahoma’s energy prices remain affordable for its citizens, by maintaining the lowest electricity prices in the country.
The Energy Assurance Plan was developed by the Oklahoma State Energy Office, which is a partnership between the state’s Department of Commerce and Office of the Secretary of Energy and Environment. The Energy Office developed the plan with broad stakeholder input in collaboration with the University of Oklahoma’s National Institute for Risk & Resilience. The plan assesses the potential for various natural and manmade disasters and their impacts on the state’s energy supply and delivery capacity, and then discusses the roles of different state agencies in responding to energy disruptions. Finally, the plan outlines a potential “menu” of responses that each agency may take depending on the disruption, and also highlights a number of preventative strategies and measures to reduce the impacts of future emergencies.
The two plans aim to ensure Oklahoma remains a leader in energy production and innovation while ensuring that its energy supplies and delivery remain consistent and reliable in the face of future disasters.