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North Dakota is renewable giant
Jun 1 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Crystal R. Reid The Bismarck Tribune, N.D. Policy-makers have called North Dakota a renewable energy giant, or the Saudi Arabia of the Midwest. Wind farms are being proposed and built across the state. The word "cellulosic" has biofuels researchers eyeing North Dakota prairie grasses for the future. It's more than just talk: In the 60th Legislative Session, lawmakers passed more than seven bills addressing incentives, objectives and funding for renewable fuels projects, effectively creating the state's largest comprehensive renewable energy plan. "For the first time, the Legislature actually established a goal or an objective for developing renewable energy," said Kim Christianson, manager of the renewable energy and energy efficiency office in the state Department of Commerce. Part of the plan builds on programs and incentives already in place, but several new incentives and a new state goal for renewables may set the stage for North Dakota to live up to its potential. The Legislature this session agreed to adopt the federal 25x25 initiative, taking 25 percent of its energy from renewable resources, such as wind, biomass or hydrogen. Currently, 4,500 megawatts of energy are drawn from coal; about 178 megawatts come from wind farms. But on top of that goal, lawmakers also passed a bill establishing a state renewable energy objective that says 10 percent of all energy sold within the state should be from renewable resources by 2015. It's similar to goals by neighboring states Montana and Minnesota: Montana now requires 5 percent of its energy to be drawn from renewable by 2008, 10 percent by 2010 and 15 percent from 2015. North Dakota's goal is achievable, power companies say. "Most utility companies figure, if the Legislature has passed this goal, they're going to comply," Christianson said. Basin Electric pledged to follow the federal initiative, and MDU Resources Group Inc., plans to reach the state goal, too. "We will meet the renewable energy resource objectives in each state that we serve with energy," Dan Sharp, a spokesman for Montana-Dakota Utilities, said. The company recently announced the construction of a 20-megawatt wind farm in Baker, Mont., which should be operational by the end of the year and will serve parts of North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. They're also looking at wind farm sites in North Dakota and South Dakota. "We agree that, in the big picture, the country's energy portfolio has to be diverse," Sharp said. "And wind energy is part of that. When wind energy is good, it can be a contributor to our energy needs." Otter Tail Power Co. has several purchase plan agreements with wind farms, and recently announced an ownership share in a wind farm in Langdon. "Our innovative resource plan had called for 160 megawatts of wind, and just getting that in will get us nearly to 15 percent in our entire system," said Cris Kling, spokesperson for Otter Tail Power Co., an investor-owned utility based in Minnesota. Kling said Otter Tail already draws nearly 10 percent of its energy from renewables, some of which is wind. Wind in this flat state is easy to come by; in fact, North Dakota tops all other states for wind energy potential, said John Mizroch, principal assistant secretary in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. According to Mizroch, the state has the potential to generate up to 300,000 megawatts of energy from wind, and companies are scrambling to harness that power. At least 298 megawatts worth of wind farms are in the construction phases right now, Susan Wefald, public service commissioner, said, with more on the way. Although about 25 incentives are in place in North Dakota for renewable fuels, according to the governor's office, some say North Dakota still has a ways to go. One of the most notable incentives was the creation of a $3 million Renewable Energy Grant Fund, which has some developers scrambling to be the first in line for their projects. "It's the first time that the state Legislature has approved dollars for renewable energy," Christianson said. "To me, that's a huge step forward." But the fund started out as $20 million, Christianson said. Sen. Tracy Potter, D-Bismarck, said the cut in the grant was a mistake. "The state had an opportunity to make real investments in the future," Potter said. "Generally, money that you invest pays more." He agrees that the recent incentives and objectives are a good start, but still feels North Dakota can do more. "They're merely goals," he said about the 10 percent by 2015 objective. "I think we really need to take a really comprehensive look at energy policy, and make North Dakota the Saudi Arabia of the Midwest." |