NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The Permian Basin, the largest oil reserve in the world located in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico, was once also known for its dark skies. But over the years as oil drilling has ramped up that narrative has changed drastically. "It was so dark out there at night. You could see sky, you could see stars forever. And now it's not that way. There's hundreds of wells have been drilled in the area," mentioned Rachael Overbey, Director of Operations Planning and Regulatory at Franklin Mountain Energy. The lighting from these oil and natural gas sites has become a major concern, putting workers and wildlife who rely on the absence of light, at risk. "Over maybe the last five, six, seven years, the sky glow from the Permian Basin has grown at 700% over that time. There's been a massive proliferation. It's as if a large city has been built out there," emphasized CEO of Dark Sky International Ruskin Hartley. 2024 was Earth’s hottest year ever, passing major climate threshold: ‘Alarm bells have been ringing’ So, Franklin Mountain Energy took it upon themselves to protect and maintain the nighttime environment with the help of Dark Sky International. "Our team was able to retrofit two sites and build a brand new site that met their criteria. And we're really, really proud of it," shared Overbey. By adopting simple practices like installing fixtures that would keep the light down on the ground and opting for warmer-toned lights, they were able to see a 60% reduction in lighting energy consumption. "By doing that, they saved energy, they're saving money in the long term, and they're essentially eliminating offsite sky lighting," continued Hartley. Additionally, they were able to reduce light scattering in the night sky by 99% restoring the night skies for places like the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Franklin Mountain Energy is the first oil and gas site in the world to receive this 'dark sky' distinction.