Oklahoma Quick Facts
- In 2023, Oklahoma was the nation's sixth-largest producer of marketed natural gas and producer of crude oil. Overall, the state produces almost three times more energy than it consumes.
- In 2023, Oklahoma's 5 crude oil refineries had a combined processing capacity of about 547,000 barrels per calendar day, which is about 3% of the U.S. total refining capacity.
- In 2023, Oklahoma ranked third in the nation in electricity generation from wind, which supplied 42% of Oklahoma’s electricity generation. Wind also accounted for 94% of the state’s total renewable generation.
- The benchmark price in the domestic spot market for the U.S. crude oil known as West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is set at Cushing, Oklahoma, which is home to about 14% of the nation's commercial crude oil storage capacity.
- Oklahoma has more than 6% of the nation’s total proved natural gas reserves and ranks sixth in the nation, after Texas, Pennsylvania, Alaska, West Virginia, and Louisiana.
Last Updated: July 18, 2024
Data
Last Update: September 19, 2024 | Next Update: October 17, 2024
Prices | |||||
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Petroleum | Oklahoma | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
Domestic Crude Oil First Purchase | $ 76.46 /barrel | $ 77.45 /barrel | Jun-24 | ||
Natural Gas | Oklahoma | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
City Gate | $ 6.26 /thousand cu ft | $ 4.36 /thousand cu ft | Jun-24 | find more | |
Residential | $ 26.15 /thousand cu ft | $ 21.10 /thousand cu ft | Jun-24 | find more | |
Coal | Oklahoma | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
Average Sales Price | -- | $ 54.46 /short ton | 2022 | ||
Delivered to Electric Power Sector | $ 2.15 /million Btu | $ 2.51 /million Btu | Jun-24 | ||
Electricity | Oklahoma | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
Residential | 12.37 cents/kWh | 16.41 cents/kWh | Jun-24 | find more | |
Commercial | 9.59 cents/kWh | 13.10 cents/kWh | Jun-24 | find more | |
Industrial | 6.19 cents/kWh | 8.44 cents/kWh | Jun-24 | find more |
Reserves | |||||
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Reserves | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Crude Oil (as of Dec. 31) | 1,830 million barrels | 3.8% | 2022 | find more | |
Expected Future Production of Dry Natural Gas (as of Dec. 31) | 41,771 billion cu ft | 6.0% | 2022 | find more | |
Expected Future Production of Natural Gas Plant Liquids | 2,759 million barrels | 8.5% | 2022 | find more | |
Recoverable Coal at Producing Mines | -- | -- | 2022 | find more | |
Rotary Rigs & Wells | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Natural Gas Producing Wells | 40,360 wells | 8.4% | 2020 | find more | |
Capacity | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
Crude Oil Refinery Capacity (as of Jan. 1) | 523,800 barrels/calendar day | 2.9% | 2023 | ||
Electric Power Industry Net Summer Capacity | 32,226 MW | 2.7% | Jun-24 |
Supply & Distribution | |||||
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Production | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Total Energy | 4,281 trillion Btu | 4.3% | 2022 | find more | |
Crude Oil | 386 thousand barrels per day | 2.9% | Jun-24 | find more | |
Natural Gas - Marketed | 2,764,019 million cu ft | 7.0% | 2022 | find more | |
Coal | 2 thousand short tons | * | 2022 | find more | |
Total Utility-Scale Net Electricity Generation | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Total Net Electricity Generation | 9,158 thousand MWh | 2.3% | Jun-24 | ||
Utility-Scale Net Electricity Generation (share of total) | Oklahoma | U.S. Average | Period | ||
Petroleum-Fired | * | 0.4 % | Jun-24 | find more | |
Natural Gas-Fired | 53.3 % | 43.3 % | Jun-24 | find more | |
Coal-Fired | 6.7 % | 15.8 % | Jun-24 | find more | |
Nuclear | 0.0 % | 17.5 % | Jun-24 | find more | |
Renewables | 40.0 % | 22.7 % | Jun-24 | ||
Stocks | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Motor Gasoline (Excludes Pipelines) | 184 thousand barrels | 1.6% | Jun-24 | ||
Distillate Fuel Oil (Excludes Pipelines) | 2,049 thousand barrels | 2.2% | Jun-24 | find more | |
Natural Gas in Underground Storage | 323,310 million cu ft | 4.2% | Jun-24 | find more | |
Petroleum Stocks at Electric Power Producers | 30 thousand barrels | 0.1% | Jun-24 | find more | |
Coal Stocks at Electric Power Producers | 4,424 thousand tons | 3.3% | Jun-24 | find more | |
Fueling Stations | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
Motor Gasoline | 1,798 stations | 1.6% | 2022 | ||
Propane | 95 stations | 3.9% | Aug-24 | ||
Electric Vehicle Charging Locations | 333 stations | 0.5% | Aug-24 | ||
E85 | 99 stations | 2.2% | Aug-24 | ||
Biodiesel, Compressed Natural Gas, and Other Alternative Fuels | 99 stations | 3.4% | Aug-24 |
Consumption & Expenditures | |||||
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Summary | Oklahoma | U.S. Rank | Period | ||
Total Consumption | 1,526 trillion Btu | 24 | 2022 | find more | |
Total Consumption per Capita | 380 million Btu | 11 | 2022 | find more | |
Total Expenditures | $ 24,645 million | 27 | 2022 | find more | |
Total Expenditures per Capita | $ 6,132 | 11 | 2022 | find more | |
by End-Use Sector | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
Consumption | |||||
» Residential | 245 trillion Btu | 1.3% | 2022 | find more | |
» Commercial | 209 trillion Btu | 1.3% | 2022 | find more | |
» Industrial | 617 trillion Btu | 2.0% | 2022 | find more | |
» Transportation | 456 trillion Btu | 1.7% | 2022 | find more | |
Expenditures | |||||
» Residential | $ 4,299 million | 1.3% | 2022 | find more | |
» Commercial | $ 3,159 million | 1.3% | 2022 | find more | |
» Industrial | $ 4,287 million | 1.5% | 2022 | find more | |
» Transportation | $ 12,901 million | 1.5% | 2022 | find more | |
by Source | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
Consumption | |||||
» Petroleum | 99 million barrels | 1.4% | 2022 | find more | |
» Natural Gas | 757 billion cu ft | 2.3% | 2022 | find more | |
» Coal | 6,055 thousand short tons | 1.2% | 2022 | find more | |
Expenditures | |||||
» Petroleum | $ 14,871 million | 1.4% | 2022 | find more | |
» Natural Gas | $ 5,055 million | 1.9% | 2022 | find more | |
» Coal | $ 288 million | 1.1% | 2022 | find more | |
Consumption for Electricity Generation | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Petroleum | 4 thousand barrels | 0.2% | Jun-24 | find more | |
Natural Gas | 39,586 million cu ft | 3.1% | Jun-24 | find more | |
Coal | 440 thousand tons | 1.3% | Jun-24 | find more | |
Energy Source Used for Home Heating (share of households) | Oklahoma | U.S. Average | Period | ||
Natural Gas | 49.4 % | 46.2 % | 2022 | ||
Fuel Oil | 0.2 % | 3.9 % | 2022 | ||
Electricity | 41.9 % | 41.3 % | 2022 | ||
Propane | 6.1 % | 5.0 % | 2022 | ||
Other/None | 2.5 % | 3.5 % | 2022 |
Environment | |||||
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Renewable Energy Capacity | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Total Renewable Energy Electricity Net Summer Capacity | 13,724 MW | 3.9% | Jun-24 | ||
Ethanol Plant Nameplate Capacity | -- | -- | 2024 | ||
Renewable Energy Production | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Utility-Scale Hydroelectric Net Electricity Generation | 119 thousand MWh | 0.6% | Jun-24 | ||
Utility-Scale Solar, Wind, and Geothermal Net Electricity Generation | 3,515 thousand MWh | 5.6% | Jun-24 | ||
Utility-Scale Biomass Net Electricity Generation | 28 thousand MWh | 0.7% | Jun-24 | ||
Small-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Generation | 22 thousand MWh | 0.3% | Jun-24 | ||
Fuel Ethanol Production | 0 thousand barrels | 0.0% | 2022 | ||
Renewable Energy Consumption | Oklahoma | U.S. Rank | Period | find more | |
Renewable Energy Consumption as a Share of State Total | 12.4 % | 15 | 2022 | ||
Fuel Ethanol Consumption | 4,356 thousand barrels | 28 | 2022 | ||
Total Emissions | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Carbon Dioxide | 87.8 million metric tons | 1.8% | 2021 | ||
Electric Power Industry Emissions | Oklahoma | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
Carbon Dioxide | 26,607 thousand metric tons | 1.6% | 2022 | ||
Sulfur Dioxide | 12 thousand metric tons | 1.1% | 2022 | ||
Nitrogen Oxide | 22 thousand metric tons | 1.8% | 2022 |
Analysis
Last Updated: July 18, 2024
Overview
Oklahoma, a major natural gas-and crude oil-producing state, produces almost three times more energy than it consumes.
Oklahoma is in the heart of the U.S Mid-Continent oil region, a vast natural gas- and crude oil- producing area that also encompasses Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. The region is flanked by the Mississippi River to the east and the Rocky Mountain states to the west, with Oklahoma at its center.1,2 Natural gas and crude oil wells can be seen across much of Oklahoma, and some of the largest natural gas and oil fields in the country are found in the state.3,4 Eastern Oklahoma is also a coal-mining region.5,6 However, fossil fuels are not the state's only energy resources. Although Oklahoma has mountains in the east and mesas in the west, it is a plains state with open prairie and fertile soils.7,8 Winds that blow across the open plains give the state significant wind energy resources, and wind provides a substantial and increasing share of Oklahoma's electricity generation.9,10 The state's climate is humid and subtropical in the east and semi-arid in the west. While solar potential in Oklahoma is widespread, the available solar energy resource increases across the state from east to west as sunny, arid conditions increase and precipitation decreases.11,12 Overall, the state is ranked sixth in the nation in solar power potential.13 With several rivers and large reservoirs, the state also has hydropower resources.14,15
Oklahoma is the 28th most-populous state in the nation, but it ranks 11th in energy use per capita.16,17 The state's industrial sector, which includes the energy-intensive crude oil and natural gas industries, accounts for about two-fifths of Oklahoma's energy consumption. The transportation sector makes up three-tenths of state energy use. The state has long, hot summers, but Oklahoma winters are short and less severe than other states to the north. This is reflected in the state's residential sector, which accounts for about one-sixth of total energy consumption. The commercial sector uses the rest.18,19,20 Overall, the state produces almost three times more energy than it consumes, and much of the energy produced in Oklahoma—particularly natural gas, petroleum, and electricity—is sent to other states.21,22,23
Natural gas
Oklahoma has more than 6% of the nation's total proved natural gas reserves and ranks sixth in the nation, after Texas, Pennsylvania, Alaska, West Virginia, and Louisiana.24 All or part of about 15 of the nation's largest natural gas fields, as measured by proved reserves, are located in the state.25 In 2023, Oklahoma was the sixth-largest producer of marketed natural gas and accounted for 7% of the U.S. total.26 Marketed production was more than 2.8 trillion cubic feet in 2023 but was still less than its all-time high of 3 trillion cubic feet in 2019.27
The Hugoton–to–Chicago pipeline enabled the first U.S. marketing of natural gas far from its source.
The Hugoton Gas Area is the largest natural gas field in Oklahoma and one of the largest natural gas fields, as measured by proved reserves, in the nation. It covers parts of the western Oklahoma panhandle, the Texas panhandle, and Kansas.28 The initial development of the Hugoton natural gas area was limited by a lack of accessible markets. However, in 1931, construction of a 24-inch diameter high-pressure pipeline from the Hugoton Gas Area in Oklahoma to Chicago enabled the nation's first long-distance pipeline transportation and marketing of natural gas far from its source. It was a critical development in the creation of the modern natural gas industry.29 Today a web of interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines covers the state.30 The natural gas produced from the Hugoton field also contains unusually high concentrations of helium. The helium was separated out of the natural gas was piped to the National Helium System in Amarillo, Texas, where it is was accessible for use as a coolant and for other scientific and industrial applications.31 However, the National Helium System was auctioned to a private company in January 2024 and this may change where the helium from Hugoton field will be stored.32
Oklahoma has substantial natural gas resources in shale formations (shale gas) and coalbeds (coalbed methane). In 2021, the state accounted for 5% of the nation's proved shale gas reserves and was the seventh-largest shale gas producer.33,34 As a result of advanced horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies, Oklahoma's shale well annual production steadily increased between 2007 and 2019 when it peaked at nearly 1.5 trillion cubic feet. After a 20% decline in 2020, production once again began to increase, and the state's shale gas wells produced more than 1.2 trillion cubic feet of gas in 2021.35 Oklahoma also is 1 of 16 states with natural gas production from coal seams.36 That natural gas resource, called coalbed methane, is found in eastern Oklahoma.37 Coalbed methane production in the state declined from a peak of 82 billion cubic feet in 2007, and although there have been sporadic increases, production fell to about 29 billion cubic feet in 2017. In 2022, Oklahoma's annual natural gas production from coalbed methane wells was about 50 billion cubic feet, about 7% of the nation's total.38,39
Oklahoma typically produces between three and four times more natural gas than it consumes. Surplus natural gas is either injected into the state's 12 natural gas storage fields or added to the volumes transported by the interstate pipelines that cross through the state.40,41,42 In 2022, about three times as much natural gas flowed out of Oklahoma as entered the state. Most of that natural gas went to northern and eastern markets through Kansas, Texas, and Arkansas.43 Oklahoma is the nation's sixth-largest consumer of natural gas on a per capita basis.44 Because of the many natural gas fields in Oklahoma, large amounts of natural gas are used for gathering, processing, and distributing natural gas—equal to about one-fifth of the state's total consumption. The electric power sector accounts for 52% of the natural gas delivered to end-use consumers in the state. The industrial sector consumes 33%. Although about half of Oklahoma households heat with natural gas, the residential sector and the commercial sector together account for 14% of the natural gas consumed in the state. The transportation sector uses a small amount of natural gas.45,46
Petroleum
The discovery of oil transformed Oklahoma's economy. By the time Oklahoma became a state in 1907, it was the largest crude oil producer in the nation.47 Because the early history of oil field development in Oklahoma was one of booms and busts, including unregulated overproduction and waste, important oil and gas conservation practices and organizations trace their origins to the state. In 1935, the voluntary Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, headquartered in Oklahoma City, was created to ensure responsible development of crude oil resources through the coordinated efforts of crude oil-producing states.48,49
Cushing, Oklahoma, is the designated delivery and pricing point for the U.S. benchmark crude oil, West Texas Intermediate.
In 2022, Oklahoma had about 1.8 billion barrels of proved crude oil reserves, about 4% of the nation's total.50 In 2023, Oklahoma produced about 157 million barrels of crude oil, the fifth-largest amount among the states, and accounted for about 3.3% of the nation's total annual crude oil production.51 Although most oil fields are in the eastern half of the state and most natural gas fields are in the west, crude oil wells are found throughout Oklahoma.52,53 One of the 100 largest oil fields in the United States, Oklahoma's Sho-Vel-Tum field, has continuously produced crude oil since its discovery in 1905.54 The state's oil industry experienced a decline in production from the mid-1980s until 2005 when annual crude oil production in Oklahoma fell to 61 million barrels, its lowest level since 1913.55 Production then increased, and in 2019, it reached 217 million barrels. Although production declined again in 2020 as demand fell, due in part to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, annual output remained above 147 million barrels in 2021 and rose to 157 million barrels in 2023.56,57,58
Oklahoma's 5 crude oil refineries have a combined processing capacity of about 547,000 barrels per calendar day, which is about 3% of the U.S. total refining capacity.59,60 Several petroleum product pipelines connect the state's refineries to markets in Oklahoma and in other states. Pipelines also bring crude oil into Oklahoma from other states and Canada. Those pipelines converge in central Oklahoma near the city of Cushing, which is known internationally as the designated delivery and pricing point for the U.S. benchmark crude oil, West Texas Intermediate or WTI, a domestically produced light (low density), sweet (low sulfur content) crude oil traded in both the physical and futures markets. 61,62 Cushing, known as the pipeline crossroads of the world, has 30 inbound pipelines, 16 outbound pipelines, and more than 30 intra-Cushing pipelines.63 It is also a major crude oil storage terminal and, excluding the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, it has 14% of the nation's crude oil storage capacity.64
Oklahoma is among the top one-fourth of the states in per capita petroleum consumption.65 The transportation sector accounts for more than three-fourths of the petroleum consumed in the state, and the industrial sector uses nearly one-fifth. The residential and commercial sectors, together, accounts for about 5% of state consumption.66 Almost 1 in 15 Oklahoma households use petroleum products, mostly propane, to heat their homes.67
Electricity
Oklahoma ranked third in the nation in electricity net generation from wind in 2023.
Wind and natural gas together accounted for about nine-tenths of Oklahoma's total in-state electricity net generation in 2023. Natural gas provided about 50% of Oklahoma's total net generation and wind energy provided about 42%.68 Oklahoma ranks third among the states, behind Texas and Iowa, in the amount of electricity it generates from wind. In 2023, the state accounted for about 9% of the nation's wind-powered electricity net generation.69 Oklahoma has a natural gas energy standard that makes natural gas the preferred choice for any new fossil energy-fueled generating facilities.70,71 Natural gas fueled more than half of in-state generation in 2019 and 2020, and 7 of Oklahoma's 10 largest power plants by capacity and by generation are natural gas-fired.72,73 Coal, which fueled 63% of in-state generation in 2001, saw its share decline to 6% in 2023.74 Almost all the rest of Oklahoma's net generation comes from renewable resources other than wind, primarily hydroelectric power.75 Oklahoma does not have any nuclear power plants.76
Total electricity sales in Oklahoma are less than in almost half the states, but its electricity sales per capita are among the top 10 states.77 Because Oklahoma generates more electricity than it consumes, the state sends its excess power to other states over the regional grid.78 About two in five Oklahoma households use electricity as their primary energy source for home heating and almost all use air conditioning during the hot summers.79,80 The residential sector accounts for the largest share of electricity consumption in Oklahoma at about 37%, and the commercial sector followed at 32%. The industrial sector accounts for the remaining 31% of state electricity consumption.81 Although no electricity sales to public railway systems are reported, there were 316 public-only electric vehicle charging locations in the state in at the end of May 2024.82
Renewable energy
Oklahoma generated 45% of its total in-state electricity from renewable resources in 2023.
Renewable resources accounted for 45% of Oklahoma's total in-state electricity generation in 2023, an increase from about 19% in 2013. About 94% of the state's renewable generation came from wind energy, but other renewable energy resources contributed to in-state generation, including hydropower and to a lesser extent biomass and solar energy.83 In 2023, wind energy's share of Oklahoma's total in-state electricity net generation was larger in Oklahoma than in all but three other states—Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas.84 At the end of April 2024, Oklahoma had 12,648 megawatts of wind capacity, which was 92% of Oklahoma's total generating capacity from all renewable resources.85 Several large wind energy projects came online in 2022 and 2023, including Oklahoma's largest, the 999-megawatt Traverse Wind Project, which has 356 turbines, and another 250 megawatts are scheduled to come online by 2025.86,87
Many of the rivers that flow across Oklahoma were dammed to form lakes, and the state has more man-made lakes than any other state in the nation.88,89 Those rivers are the locations of Oklahoma's 10 hydroelectric power plants.90 Hydroelectric power contributes varying amounts to the state's electricity net generation depending on river levels, precipitation, and drought.91 In 2023, hydropower provided 2% of the state's total net generation, but in the past 20 years, it has contributed amounts ranging from about 1% to about 5%.92 The state also has one hydroelectric pumped storage power plant.93 Pumped storage allows system operators to purchase inexpensive power during periods of low demand and use it to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir. During periods of high electricity demand, the upper reservoir releases water that flows through turbines to the lower reservoir, generating electricity. A pumped storage facility uses more electricity than it generates, but it supplies power in periods when electricity demand is highest.94
Biomass resources provided 0.3% of Oklahoma's total electricity net generation and less than 0.7% of the state's renewable generation in 2023. There are three utility-scale biomass power plants in the state—one that uses wood and wood waste, one that uses municipal solid waste, and one that uses landfill gases. Of those three plants, the wood-fueled power plant, has the largest generating capacity at 63 megawatts.95,96
In 2023, utility-scale (1 megawatt of larger) and customer-sited, small-scale (less than 1 megawatt) solar photovoltaic (PV) installations provided 0.6% of Oklahoma's renewable electricity generation. Small-scale facilities, mainly rooftop solar panel systems, provide about 70% of the state's total solar generation. Oklahoma's 12 utility-scale solar arrays, mostly located in sunnier western Oklahoma, have a combined generating capacity of about 171 megawatts, with another 100 megawatts scheduled to come online in 2024.97,98 Although solar power generation from both utility-scale and small-scale generators is less than 0.3% of the state's total electricity generation, it was three times greater in 2023 than in 2019.99
Oklahoma's Energy Security Act established a renewable energy goal for the state's electric utilities in 2010. It required that 15% of an electric utility's installed generating capacity use renewable sources by 2015. The state's utilities exceeded that goal, and 25.9% of Oklahoma's installed generating capacity came from eligible renewable energy resources and demand-side management in 2015 and no new targets have been set since.100
Oklahoma does not require gasoline blended with ethanol to be sold in the state and does not have any fuel ethanol production plants. However, most U.S. gasoline is blended with at least 10% ethanol.101,102 The state's one biodiesel plant uses animal fats, byproducts of Oklahoma's livestock production, as a feedstock.103 The plant's production capacity is 40 million gallons of biodiesel per year.104 Oklahoma consumes about 31 million gallons of biodiesel annually.105
Coal
Oklahoma's coal-mining region is in the northeastern part of the state and extends south from the Kansas border toward the Arkansas border in the east.106 In the late 1800s numerous mines supplied fuel for the railroads. However, Oklahoma's coal production peaked at 4 million tons per year during World War I and then began to decline in the 1920s.107 By 2022, Oklahoma had 0.3% of the nation's estimated recoverable coal reserves, and the state's 1 active coal mine produced only about 2,000 tons of bituminous coal, down from almost 2 million tons produced from 9 active mines in 2006.108,109,110 The electric power sector accounted for about 97% of the 6.1 million tons of coal used in Oklahoma in 2022.111 Oklahoma uses much more coal than the state produces. Almost all of the coal consumed in the state comes from Wyoming by rail.112 Some coal mined in Oklahoma went to in-state power plants and industrial users in 2022 by truck.113
Energy on tribal lands
Oklahoma has the nation's second-largest Native American population, after California, and has 38 federally recognized Indian Nations.114,115,116 Federal legislation enacted at the end of the 19th century stripped reservation status from almost all tribal lands in the territory before it became a state.117 Oklahoma tribes now govern and provide services within tribal jurisdictional areas and tribal areas are spread across about three-fourths of the state. 118,119 The nearly 1.5 million acres of the Osage Nation Reservation occupy all of Osage County, Oklahoma. The tribe purchased its land, including the mineral rights, from the Cherokee in the 19th century. After oil was discovered on their land in 1894, the Osage tribe became very wealthy.120 The Osage Minerals Council administers the crude oil and natural gas resources on the reservation, and the tribe continues to receive income from the crude oil and natural gas produced in the county.121
In addition to fossil energy resources, Oklahoma's tribal areas share many of the state's renewable resources. Six of the 15 U.S. tribes with the greatest potential for wind-powered electricity generation and 6 of those with the highest potential for solar PV electricity generation are in Oklahoma. There are 5 Oklahoma tribes among the top 15 in the nation with the greatest potential for electricity generation from concentrating solar thermal energy, and 4 among those with the highest potential for electricity generation using woody biomass. Three Oklahoma tribes are among the nation's 15 with the greatest hydropower potential.122,123
Several tribal areas in Oklahoma have wind energy potential.124 Five Oklahoma tribes leased land to a company that is constructing a wind farm on the Chilocco Indian School's land in Kay County. The land is owned by and leased from the Cherokee Nation, the Kaw Nation, the Otoe-Missouri Tribe, the Pawnee Nation, and the Ponca Nation. The 200-megawatt project will be completed in 2026 and will be one of the nation's largest wind farms that is entirely on Native American land.125,126,127
Other Oklahoma tribes are developing their own energy projects. In 2021, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) announced grants for energy development. The Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma received a grant to evaluate solar project options. The BIA awarded the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes a grant that will allow the tribes to purchase or drill wells in high crude oil and natural gas production areas, as well as to construct a natural gas power plant and create an electric microgrid. The BIA also awarded grants to both the Pawnee Nation and the Peoria Tribe for solar energy feasibility studies.128
Endnotes
1 Encyclopedia.com, Midcontinent Oil Region, accessed June 14, 2024.
2 Franks, Kenny A., "Petroleum Industry," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, accessed June 14, 2024.
3 The University of Oklahoma, Map of Oklahoma Oil and Gas Fields, accessed June 14, 2024.
4 U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Top 100 U.S. Oil and Gas Fields (March 2015), p. 5-10.
5 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Report 2022 (October 2022), Table 15, Recoverable Coal Reserves at Producing Mines, Estimated Recoverable Reserves, and Demonstrated Reserve Base by Mining Method, 2022.
6 Goostree, Eric, "Mining Towns," The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, accessed June 14, 2024.
7 Lewis, Tom, and Sara Jane Richter, "Black Mesa," The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, accessed June 14, 2024.
8 Patton, Jamie J., and Richard A. Marston, "Great Plains," The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, accessed June 14, 2024.
9 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, WINDExchange, Wind Energy in Oklahoma, accessed June 14, 2024.
10 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation from all sectors, Oklahoma, All fuels, Wind, Annual, 2001-23.
11 Roberts, Billy J., "Global Horizontal Solar Irradiance, National Solar Radiation Database Physical Solar Model," National Renewable Energy Laboratory (February 22, 2018).
12 Oklahoma Climatological Survey, Climate of Oklahoma, accessed June 14, 2024.
13 Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Renewable Energy, accessed June 14, 2024.
14 Johnson, Kenneth S., "Lakes and Reservoirs," The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, accessed June 14, 2024.
15 Geology.com, Oklahoma Lakes, Rivers and Water Resources, accessed June 14, 2023.
16 U.S. Census Bureau, State Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2023, Table, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023.
17 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C14, Total Energy Consumption Estimates per Capita by end-use Sector, Ranked by state, 2022.
18 Oklahoma Climatological Survey, Climate of Oklahoma, accessed June 14, 2024.
19 State of Oklahoma, Annual Economic Report 2023, p. 11.
20 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C11, Energy Consumption Estimates by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2022.
21 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table P3, Total Primary Energy Production and Total Energy Consumption Estimates in Trillion Btu, 2022.
22 U.S. EIA, Oklahoma Electricity Profile 2022 (November 2, 2023), Table 10, Supply and disposition of electricity, 1990 through 2022.
23 U.S. EIA, Oklahoma Profile Overview, Consumption by Source and Production, 2022.
24 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Proved Reserves, Wet After Lease Separation, Proved Reserves as of December 31, 2021.
25 U.S. EIA, Top 100 U.S. Oil and Gas Fields (March 2015), Table 2, Top 100 U.S. gas fields as of December 31, 2013.
26 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production, Marketed Production, 2023.
27 U.S. EIA, Oklahoma Natural Gas Marketed Production, 1967-2023.
28 U.S. EIA, Top 100 U.S. Oil and Gas Fields (March 2015), Table 2, Top 100 U.S. gas fields as of December 31, 2013.
29 The Historical Marker Database, Panhandle Area Natural Gas, accessed June 17, 2024.
30 U.S. EIA, Interactive GIS Data Viewer, Layers List: State Mask Oklahoma, Border Crossings - Natural Gas, Natural Gas Pipelines, accessed June 17, 2024.
31 Kammerzell, Jaime, "Helium to Move from Byproduct to Primary Drilling Target," Rigzone (November 18, 2011).
32 U.S. General Services Administration, Federal Helium System at Cliffside, accessed June 26, 2024.
33 U.S. EIA, Shale Gas, Proved Reserves as of December 1, 2021.
34 U.S. EIA, Shale Gas Estimated Production, 2016-21.
35 U.S. EIA, Oklahoma Shale Production, 2007-21.
36 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production, Gross Withdrawals from Coalbed Wells, Annual, 2016-22.
37 Oklahoma Geological Survey, Coal and Coalbed Methane, accessed June 17, 2024.
38 U.S. EIA, Oklahoma Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals from Coalbed Wells, 2002-22.
39 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production, Gross Withdrawals from Coalbed Wells, Annual, 2016-22.
40 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production, Oklahoma, Annual, 2018-23.
41 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End Use, Oklahoma, 2018-23.
42 U.S. EIA, Underground Natural Gas Storage Capacity, Total Number of Existing Fields, 2017-22.
43 U.S. EIA, International and Interstate Movements of Natural Gas by State, Oklahoma, Annual, 2017-22.
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63 CME Group, Why Cushing Matters: An Update on the WTI Benchmark (March 21, 2023).
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66 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F16, Total Petroleum Consumption Estimates, 2022.
67 U.S. Census Bureau, Oklahoma, Table B25040, House Heating Fuel, 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.
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70 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, Oklahoma Renewable Energy Goal, updated December 6, 2023.
71 Casetext, Okla. Stat. tit. 17§801.5, accessed June 21, 2024.
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75 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Oklahoma, Fuel Type (Check all), Annual, 2022-23.
76 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Oklahoma, updated March 9, 2021.
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79 U.S. Census Bureau, Oklahoma, Table B25040, House Heating Fuel, 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.
80 U.S. EIA, Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), 2020 RECS Survey Data, State Data, Housing Characteristics, Highlights for air conditioning in U.S. homes by state, 2020.
81 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F20, Electricity Consumption Estimates, 2022.
82 U.S. EIA, Monthly Energy Review (May 2024), Appendix F monthly state file, XLS.
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84 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Geography check all, All fuels, Wind, Small-scale solar photovoltaic, Annual, 2022-23
85 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly (April 2024), Table 6.2.B.
86 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of May 2024.
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88 Johnson, Kenneth S., "Lakes and Reservoirs," The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, accessed June 21, 2024.
89 Layden, Logan, "Why Oklahoma Built More Lakes than Any Other State," StateImpact Oklahoma (September 27, 2012).
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91 U.S. EIA, "Western U.S. hydropower generation fell to a 22-year low last year," Today in Energy (March 26, 2024).
92 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Oklahoma, All fuels, Conventional hydroelectric, Small-scale solar photovoltaic, Annual, 2001-23.
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95 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of May 2024.
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97 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of May 2024.
98 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly (April 2024), Table 6.2.B.
99 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Oklahoma, All fuels, Conventional hydroelectric, Other renewables, All solar, Small-scale solar photovoltaic, Annual, 2001-23.
100 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, Oklahoma Renewable Energy Goal, updated December 6, 2023.
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103 Seaboard Energy, Guymon, OK, accessed June 21, 2024.
104 U.S. EIA, Petroleum & Other Liquids, U.S. Biodiesel Plant Production Capacity, Detailed annual production capacity by plant in XLSX, as of January 1, 2023.
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114 U.S. Census, 2021 American Community Survey, B02001 Race, All States within U.S.
115 U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Oklahoma, Indian Country, updated July 19, 2022.
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Other Resources
Energy-Related Regions and Organizations
- Coal Region: Interior
- Petroleum Administration for Defense District (PADD): 2
- Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) and Independent System Operator (ISO): Southwest Power Pool (SPP)
- North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) ERO Enterprise: Regional Entities: Southwest Power Pool, Inc (SPP)
Other Websites
- Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and Environment
- Oklahoma Geological Survey, The University of Oklahoma, Energy Resources
- Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Weatherization Program
- Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Renewable Energy
- Oklahoma Corporation Commission
- Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Oil and Gas Conservation Division
- Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Public Utility Division
- Central Oklahoma Clean Cities
- EIA Oklahoma Flickr Album
- Southwestern Power Administration
- Southern States Energy Board
- Alternative Fuels Data Center, Federal and State Laws and Incentives
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Community Services, An Office of the Administration for Children & Families, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Usa.Gov, Get help with energy bills
- NC Clean Energy Technology Center, Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE)
- National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)
- National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)
- National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Energy
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Geospatial Data Science Data and Tools
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Publications
- Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC)
- U.S. Geological Survey, Maps
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Energy Flow Charts
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE)
- U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Tribal Energy Atlas
- EIA Natural Gas Storage Dashboard
- EIA Energy Disruptions
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development, Energy Programs