Oklahoma Secretary of Energy

History

The Office of the Secretary of the Environment was established in 1986 to provide greater oversight and coordination to the energy activities of the state government. The office was established, along with the Oklahoma State Cabinet, by the Executive Branch Reform Act of 1986. The act directed the secretary of energy to advise the governor on energy policy and advise the state energy agencies on new policy as directed by the governor.

Oklahoma state law allows for cabinet secretaries to serve concurrently as the head of a state agency in addition to their duties as a cabinet secretary. Historically, the secretary of energy has not served in any such dual position.

The offices of the Office of the Secretary of Energy and the Office of the Secretary of the Environment were merged in 2013, creating the Office of the Secretary of Energy and Environment.

Responsibilities

The secretary of energy served as the principal state government entity that is responsible for regulating and promoting the existing energy industry in the State. The secretary was responsible for overseeing energy conservation, energy-related research, energy production, and alternative and renewable energy development. The energy secretary was also one of three cabinet secretaries that served on the Executive Environmental Committee of the Governor's Cabinet, along with the Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture and the Oklahoma Secretary of the Environment.

The secretary served ex officio as the governor's representative on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. As the governor's official representative, the secretary represented the state on the commission and advocated for the conservation of oil and gas resources.

As of fiscal year 2011, the secretary of energy oversaw 969 full-time employees and was responsible for an annual budget of over $641 million.

Office of the Secretary

The secretary headed the Office of the Secretary of Energy, which was a state agency.

Mission and goals

The mission statement of the office was: :The goals of the Oklahoma Secretary of Energy are to support current energy industries, facilitate the development of alternative and renewable energies, and to foster the growth and economic development of the state through strategic diversity.

The stated goals of the office were:

• Prioritize the use of Oklahoma Resources when developing plans to meet the State's energy needs for transportation fuels and power generation
• Support Oklahoma's existing oil and natural gas industry
• Ensure stability and supply of electricity at a reasonable cost to Oklahoma homes and businesses through ample electricity generation and a robust transmission grid
• Increase research, development and demonstration projects for biofuels to complement petroleum for transportation fuels and for alternative energy including wind, hydro and solar to generate electricity
• Help Oklahomans understand the need for conservation and help reduce consumption and manage demand

Staff

The staff of the office served as the immediate staff to the secretary. The office had a very limited staff of three full-time employees including the secretary. As of 2010, the following were the authorized positions within the office:

• Secretary of Energy
• Deputy Secretary of Energy
• Special Assistant and Legislative Liaison

Budget

For fiscal year 2011, with three employees, the office has an annual budget of just under $1 million. All of that budget was dedicated to employee compensation and operating expenses.

Salary

The annual salary of the secretary of energy was set by law at $70,000. Despite this law, if the secretary served as the head of a state agency, the secretary receives the higher of the two salaries. Because the secretary of energy also served as the governor's representative to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, they received the salary allocated for that position; in 2010, the annual salary of that position was set at $90,000.

Agencies overseen

The secretary of energy oversaw the following state entities:

• Oklahoma Corporation Commission
• Oklahoma Department of Mines
• Oklahoma Energy Resources Board
• Oklahoma Marginal Wells Commission
• Oklahoma Bioenergy Center
• Clean Energy Independence Commission

The secretary was also responsible for representing the governor before the following entities:

• Southwest Power Pool
• Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission
• Western Governors' Association
• Grand River Dam Authority

List of secretaries

References

References

1. Wertz, Joe. (12 September 2013). "Q&A: Oklahoma’s New Secretary of Energy and Environment".
2. Wertz, Joe. (3 July 2013). "Sierra Club Criticizes Gov. Fallin’s Plan to Combine Energy and Environment Posts".
3. Murphy, Emma. (8 September 2025). "Oklahoma energy secretary announces bid for attorney general".
4. [http://www.ok.gov/OSF/documents/bud11hd.pdf FY 2011 State Budget], [[Oklahoma Office of State Finance]]
5. [http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=437260 Paragraph 5, Section 10.5, Title 74, Oklahoma Statutes]