EDITORIAL: NW Oklahoma needs to be key player in nation's energy policy

Apr. 10—Oklahoma is an energy state.

That should come as no surprise to anyone with even a passing knowledge of the Sooner State. Energy, particularly oil and gas, has been a big part of our state since before Oklahoma was a state.

For many years, energy in Oklahoma meant just oil and gas. My, how times have changed.

Fast forward to today and energy has taken on several new meanings. Oil and gas will remain dominant, but one only has to look in the southeast corner of Garfield County to see what energy looks like in Oklahoma in the present.

Covington is a poster child for energy production in our state today. Within a few miles of Covington-Douglas High School you can find legacy petroleum production. Petroleum production in the area goes back a century, and Sinclair Road and Getty Road near Covington are named for early oil production tycoons active in the area.

But the modern face of energy also is visible, including a string a wind turbines and a major solar farm.

Across the state, wind energy has taken off in recent years. One project in the works, the massive Skeleton Creek Project in Garfield, Alfalfa and Major counties, will combine wind and solar with battery storage. The wind part of the project started generating electricity in December, while the other two phases are expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

Going forward, our country's leaders need to look at Oklahoma when they formulate our nation's energy policy.

Our nation needs a blended energy national strategy, one that combines various methods, and Oklahoma — Northwest Oklahoma in particular — needs to continue to be a key player in that strategy.