Oil Rich Oklahoma Is Slowly Becoming A Green Energy Leader

Long before Oklahoma became a state, the oil industry was born here in the sand hills around Bartlesville in the last 1800s. More than a few historians reference the first oil booms as the reason the Sooner State became a state in the first place, but with a history quite literally built on oil, Oklahoma is slowly becoming a green energy leader in America.

Wild, isn't it?

While the Department of Defense may be Oklahoma's single largest employer, the biggest industry by far is oil and gas.

Right around 50,000 Oklahomans are directly employed by oil and gas exploration, drilling, and pumping. More than that, an additional 300,000 Oklahomans are indirectly employed by oil and gas across the entire industry. Refining, transport, manufacturing, etc.

That's +/-9% of the state's total population in one industry, so how did Oklahoma make a swing to green energy even though it represents a perceived threat to our economy?

It's politics.

I think it's fair to say that we, as Oklahomans and Americans, have been consumed by an unhealthy thought process. If you're not for us, you're against us. No middle ground. One side is evil, the other is righteous, etc... Our modern savage politics have migrated into every topic of discussion we have on a daily basis.

When big business realized the windy plains of Oklahoma were prime real estate for big turbines, they keyed in on it. Not because it's "clean" energy, it's debatable given the manufacturing processes, but because it was energy that would cost less to produce, meaning higher profit margins.

At least that was the selling point. As every Oklahoman who pays the electric bill knows, wind power is more expensive. That's the option my local electric supplier offers me in Southwest Oklahoma anyway. 2¢ more per kilowatt hour, but it's clean and renewable.

I would assume the ratio of customers who opt for more expensive electric rates is rather low. I can't locate data on that.

An American Leader in Green Energy.

Electricity produced in Oklahoma doesn't stay in Oklahoma though, so the state remains among the top-3 wind power producers in the country. Thanks to our consistent state of "windy," that probably won't change much in the coming years.

Over the last decade, solar has risen across the state too. Mainly atop the roofs of homes in suburban and rural areas alike, with the promise of low electric bills that eventually become zero over time.

It's a bold sales pitch, and plenty of scam warnings have emerged over the years, but those I've talked to about solar have generally good things to say about their purchase.

Hailstorms are even more of a menace to those homes.

Is this a shift in Oklahoma politics?

While most people like to make everything about politics, I don't think it is. Beyond being "better" for the environment, it's often better for the family budget.

Between the federal rebates and programs that are or have been available to homeowners, and the reduced monthly electric bill, solar has been a lot more popular than the annoying door-to-door salesmen have been.

Renewable energy is nothing new in Oklahoma.

While we may still squabble about solar this and wind power that, Oklahoma was a pioneer in renewable energy long ago. If you look at a map from the 1800s and compare it to today, you might notice a big difference.

Not one of Oklahoma's lakes is naturally occurring. Every single one was manmade in an attempt to control the river flooding that plagued our state long ago, and the cherry on top was hydroelectric power.

Still, while hydro power has been booming this spring with our incredible rains, it's not as dependable as wind, solar, or the rock-solid OG oil and gas power production.

With constant upgrades being made to our grid, which stretches from Oklahoma up through Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, part of Montana, and the reliable portions of Texas, the real question we should be asking is this.

If our appliances are Energy-Star rated and our LED bulbs and 90% more efficient than the old, pretty incandescent ones, why do our electric bills keep going up?