Governor Kevin Stitt joined United Kingdom Minister for International Trade Nigel Huddleston to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between Oklahoma and the United Kingdom.
The UK/Oklahoma pact will focus on increasing trade through deepening economic development and recognizes the two as energy leaders and innovators, with a shared focus on reliable and affordable energy.
“When I was first elected I promised I would bring the world to Oklahoma and Oklahoma to the world, and that’s exactly what we are doing today,” Stitt said.
“Specifically, Oklahoma has a long and rich history with the United Kingdom, and I look forward to building on our mutually beneficial relationship through this MOU on energy innovation, trade, agriculture, economic development, and more.”
The United Kingdom and Oklahoma both share “the same vision for providing reliable, affordable energy for our citizens, and there is a lot to learn from each other, whether that’s on carbon capture or hydrogen development.”
The MOU will capitalize on opportunities for both Oklahoma and the UK to grow their economies through increased trade and development cooperation, which will in turn strengthen businesses and create jobs for each. The agreement also expands academic and research ties, as well as collaboration in agriculture and food production.
“I’m delighted that the UK and the great state of Oklahoma have taken an important step forward in deepening our commercial and economic ties,” Minister Huddleston said. My thanks go to Governor Stitt and his team for their work on this agreement.”
Last year, UK operating companies employed more 10,000 Oklahomans, while Oklahoma exported nearly $150M of goods to the UK.
“Signing this MOU signifies our joint commitment to growing these numbers through addressing barriers, delivering trade missions, and encouraging investment – helping business in the UK and Oklahoma to grow and create jobs,” the minister said.
With its focus on agriculture and on renewable energy, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage, as well as other green technologies, “this agreement paves the way for a bright future of UK/Oklahoma relations.”
UK and Oklahoma ‘pioneers in energy’
Another key aspect of the MOU is the UK’s and Oklahoma’s shared history as world leaders and pioneers in energy. The MOU aims to capitalize on their shared focus of reliable and affordable energy while meeting the world’s growing energy demands.
This MOU makes Oklahoma just the fourth state to enter into an agreement with the UK.
Renewables are meeting a significantly growing percentage of electricity demands in Scotland, which covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain, the heart of the United Kingdom.
In 2011, renewable technologies generated 37% of national demand.
The nation met 90.1% of its equivalent electricity consumption from renewables in 2019, according to Scottish Government figures.
The Government estimates that in 2020 Scotland produced 32,063 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity, equivalent to approximately 97% of its entire electricity consumption.
However, Scotland actually produces more electricity than it uses. In 2019, renewables accounted for 61% of electricity generated in Scotland; nuclear, 25%; natural gas and oil, 13%.
Scotland has some of the most ambitious climate targets in the world. The country’s goal is to reach net-zero emissions by 2045.
The country has been moving away from burning fossil fuels; the last coal-fired power plant closed in 2016.
Onshore wind delivers most of the renewable energy, followed by hydro and offshore wind as Scotland’s main source of renewable power.
The Government estimates that in 2020, 56% of the electricity consumed in Scotland came from renewable sources, 30% from nuclear and 13% from fossil fuels.