Commission promoting all types of energy in N.D.

By Ken Hartman, Herald Editor

A majority of the energy focus in this area is on oil. However, that's not the only energy currently making news in North Dakota.

"In the last session, we passed about a $43 million energy package to promote and build our state energy policy," North Dakota Governor John Hoeven said earlier this week. "We also set up the EmPower North Dakota Commission, which is people from all the different sectors of the energy industry."

So far, the group has helped generate more than $5 billion of new energy-related projects for the state.

The EmPower North Dakota Commission is a group of individuals who are involved in oil, natural gas, coal, ethanol, biodiesel, biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, hydrogen, solar and wind. In other words, this a group of people involved in all forms of energy in the state.

Hoeven said they brought all these folks together, had them look at the state's energy policy and make recommendations on the best way to move forward. The Commission has now come back with their recommendations.

The recommendations are the result of 10 months of work by the 14-member commission, which is chaired by North Dakota Department of Commerce Commissioner Shane Goettle.

"This is an inclusive and effective process that has got everyone working together," Goettle said. "What I think is really significant about this is that we're building upon what's already been started and we're trying to keep the momentum going."

Goettle said there's one other thing that is making the process work.

"What's unique, I think, at this period of time, is that all these groups saying we've got a lot more to work on together than we do in terms of fighting about which resources are better," he said. "This isn't happening everywhere, but it's happening here."

The action items include measures for the long and short terms, some of which will be addressed in the 2009 Legislative session and others that may require further policy development. EmPower North Dakota also make recommendations for actions at the federal level by Congress and the Administration.

The group's top 10 goals are:

  • Double North Dakota's energy production from all sources by the year 2025, from the baseline of Dec. 31, 2006, to drive economic growth and help the nation achieve greater energy independence.

  • Support the nation's 25X25 Initiative to derive at least 25 percent of all energy produced from renewable sources by 2025.

  • Increase installed capacity of wind generation to 1,500 megawatts by 2020.

  • Increase North Dakota's export capacity of electricity to 4,000 megawatts.

  • Build one, and possibly more, clean-coal electric generation plants in North Dakota.

  • Produce 450 million gallons of ethanol by 2011 and develop both in-state and out-of-state markets for ethanol and associated byproducts.

  • Build new biodiesel plants in North Dakota to produce 135 million gallons by 2015.

  • Encourage development of economically feasible refining projects in North Dakota.

  • Be recognized as the sixth largest oil-producing state nationally, up from current position as the eighth largest oil-producing state.

  • Increase the amount of natural gas processed in North Dakota by 64 percent to 75 billion cubic feet per year by 2012.

    "The idea of this plan is how we can facilitate and develop more with these energies," Hoeven said. "The only thing we don't have in North Dakota is nuclear energy. We're developing everything else and it's exciting what's going on. We want to double all energy production in North Dakota by 2025 and we're making great progress toward that."

    Hoeven was asked when will the communities start seeing benefits from this initiative.

    "They are already are," he said.

    Hoeven used the example of expanding the pipeline for Enbridge. He said a year and a half ago, they could move 65,000 barrels a day. Now, they are up to 115,000 barrels a day and by some time next year, they'll be up to 165,000 barrels a day. In addition, he said all of that loaded at Trenton and goes all the way to Clearbrook, Minn.

    "All that activity started long before the kind of development you're seeing now," Hoeven said. "There's an incredible amount of work that goes into these things years ahead of time. You build momentum over time and that's what has happened with the whole energy development."

    		•