Energy

The Oklahoma House Energy Committee this week heard a study, led by Chair Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, examining the Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s (OCC) regulation of the state’s oil and gas industry, including workforce challenges, orphan well plugging and seismic activity. Archer said the study was designed to give legislators and stakeholders a clear look at the OCC’s current operations, regulatory responsibilities and funding concerns. "The Legislature must work with OCC to find solutions to the issues and gaps facing the agency, especially in the protest docket," Archer said. "If we remove barriers and work with Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry, we can help the Commission fulfill their mission and regulate the industry effectively while protecting jobs, revenue and public safety. But first, they need the resources, tools and authority to do their job well rather than the current slow, inefficient process." Jeremy Hodges, director of the OCC's Oil and Gas Conservation Division, emphasized the gap between industry revenues and OCC funding. "We regulate this industry with less than one percent of the revenue that we bring in," he said . One of the study's central topics was delays to the protest docket, which is OCC's process for hearing contested oil and gas cases. OCC's Director of Administration Brandy Wreath said frequent continuances, attorney scheduling conflicts and a shortage of court reporters and judges have slowed the docket significantly. Since these cases can involve major projects and millions in production, delays on the protest docket can have a significant economic impact. Wreath added that both court reporters and judges who work on the protest docket are "grossly underpaid" and plans to ask for a legislative carveout to pay competitive salaries. Archer asked how to prevent abuse of the protest docket system. He pointed to a large producer who is facing protests from entities that, rather than having an actual issue with the case, were instead trying to gain a better understanding of it. Wreath said the Commission has done what they can to address abuse of the system, but they're still limited by the lack of attorneys and judges. Another major focus of the study was Oklahoma’s backlog of orphan wells. Hodges said, at the current pace, it would take over 200 years to plug every orphan well in the state. Deputy Director Mike McGinnis added that even after plugging around 4,500 wells with the latest federal grant money, more than three-quarters of Oklahoma's orphans wells will remain. The committee also reviewed induced seismicity and regulatory strategies. Wreath said that OCC, industry leaders and legislators need to work together to determine policies moving forward. "I think it's one area where we failed is one side of the equation comes up with an idea that we're not all in agreement [with] when we leave the table," he said . "Even if we don't get what we want, we need to figure something out that every size of producer can agree to, that the Legislature can agree is right, the commissioners can agree, because they're gonna be issuing the orders, and then we all leave with the same marching orders and say this is what we're gonna do as a state." Other topics discussed during the study included public safety and emergency response, staffing challenges, modernization efforts and statutory clean-up, as well as a detailed breakdown of OCC's funding. "Let's hone in on those funding needs and opportunities so that we can look to help move the ball forward for, as noted multiple times, our state's largest highest employing industry," Archer said at the end of the meeting. 

Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, was elected vice chair of The Energy Council, an international nonpartisan organization focused on energy policy. Archer was elected vice chair during the Council's annual meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. He will step into the chairmanship in 2026-2027. "I’m honored to serve as vice chair of The Energy Council," Archer said. "Oklahoma has long been a leader in powering our nation, and energy remains a top industry in our state. I look forward to working with colleagues from across the country and beyond to promote an energy infrastructure that strengthens our economy, ensures reliability and secures America’s energy future." He has served on the Council's Executive Committee since February and has been a member of the Council since 2021. In the Oklahoma House, Archer chairs the House Energy Committee and is a member of the House Energy and Natural Resources Oversight Committee. He has represented House District 55 in western Oklahoma since 2022 and previously served as mayor of Elk City.

Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, today commented on the Oklahoma House of Representatives' defeat of Senate Bill 2 , a bill he argued would set a dangerous precedent before later being overturned in court. In his debate against the bill, Archer, who serves as chair of the House Energy Committee, argued the Fifth Amendment protects the right to private property. "It plainly says, if government takes your property, it owes you just compensation," Archer said. "That principle isn’t optional. It’s not up for debate." Archer argued that SB2 would open the door for counties to enact "viewshed restrictions" that amount to public takings without compensation. "Let’s not sugarcoat it: this bill gives local government the power to take from one private citizen in the name of another’s preference," he said. "That is not conservative. That is not constitutional." Archer challenged the idea of allowing counties to override citizens' constitutional rights through a simple majority vote, pointing out that "rights don't disappear based on a local vote." He said SB2 would let a group "vote away your right to use your land. That’s not democracy. and the Constitution exists to prevent that. And even if this body passes it, the courts will strike it down. I’d rather get it right today." The measure failed 44-49 on Tuesday evening. However, notice was served that the vote may be reconsidered.