The ND Industrial Commission approved recommendations of the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority this week for funding emission reduction projects, the largest of which is a $100 million loan to Minnkota Power Cooperative for Project Tundra and its plan to capture carbon dioxide emissions from a coal-fired power plant.

Minnkota had requested a $150 million loan for the project, but NDIC/CSEA could not grant the full amount because the authority has expended its $250 million loan authority granted by the 2021 ND Legislature. The NDIC also approved a $15 million loan to Midwest AgEnergy Group for its CO2 capture and sequestration project at the Blue Flint Ethanol facility adjacent to Coal Creek Station in McLean County. The two will consume all of CSEA's remaining $115 million loan authority.

CSEA Executive Director Al Anderson said with limited funds remaining, the authority was very selective in its discussion about the projects worthy of funding.

Click here to listen to Anderson's comments.

Anderson said Project Tundra, an estimated $1.45 billion project that will capture CO2 emissions from Milton R. Young Station near Center, is truly a one-of-a-kind, post combustion CO2 capture (PCCC) project.

Click here to listen to Anderson's comments.

Governor Doug Burgum said the project is consistent with the state's ongoing efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, putting it closer to Burgum's challenge to the state's fossil fuel industry to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Click here to listen to Burgum's comments.

The Industrial Commission also approved a $1 million grant to Enerplus Resources Corporation for a project aimed at capturing greenhouse gas emissions by collecting exhaust gas emitted from stationary internal combustion engines, primarily those used on wellpads in the Bakken.

There were four additional applications for projects which did not receive funding including a proposal to produce green hydrogen, to refine bio-fuels from soybean or canola oil, a waste-to-fuel project, and a flare mitigation project.

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation is warning that several parts of North America are at elevated or high risk of blackouts this summer due to predicted above-normal temperatures and drought conditions over the western half of the United States and Canada.

NERC’s 2022 Summer Reliability Assessment shows the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) is in the “high risk” category, facing capacity shortfalls in its north and central areas during both normal and extreme conditions due to generation retirements and increased demand. Also, at the start of the summer, MISO will be without a key transmission line connecting its northern and southern areas as restoration continues on a four-mile section of a 500 kV transmission line that was damaged by a tornado in December 2021. 

NERC's report puts the Western Interconnection, the ERCOT grid in Texas, the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), and Saskatchewan at “elevated risk” of energy emergencies during extreme conditions. 

Drought conditions cause multiple problems with the power grid. As drought continues over the Missouri River Basin, output from thermal generators that use the Missouri River for cooling in SPP may be affected in summer months. Low water levels in the river can impact generators that use once-through cooling and lead to reduced output capacity. Lower water releases from hydroelectric generators may also reduce power output.

“Persistent, extreme drought and its accompanying weather patterns tend to create extra stresses on electricity supply and demand,” said Mark Olson, NERC’s manager of Reliability Assessments. “Grid operators in affected areas will need all available tools to keep the system in balance this summer."

The assessment’s other key findings include:

• Supply chain issues and commissioning challenges on new resource and transmission projects are a concern in areas where completion is needed for reliability during summer peak periods.
• The electricity and other critical infrastructure sectors face cyber security threats from Russia, in addition to ongoing cyber risks.
• Some coal-fired generator owners are facing challenges obtaining fuels as supply chains are stressed.
• Unexpected tripping of solar photovoltaic resources during grid disturbances continues to be a reliability concern.
• An active late-summer wildfire season in the western United States and Canada is anticipated, posing some risk to bulk power system reliability.

NERC develops its independent assessments to identify potential bulk power system reliability risks. The 2022 Summer Reliability Assessment is intended to inform industry leaders, planners, operators and regulatory bodies so they are better prepared to take necessary actions to ensure bulk power system reliability.

Click here for more details or to download the assessment report.

The Lignite Energy Council is seeking the assistance of North Dakota residents to speak out in support of the Regional Haze implementation plan developed by the ND Department of Environmental Quality.

The LEC has set up a website that provides background information on the DEQ's plan to comply with the federal visibility standard. Mack McGuffey, an air quality expert assisting the LEC effort, believes the nearly 1,000-page implementation plan does a good job documenting the fact that additional controls on the state's coal-fired power plants would produce no noticeable improvement in visibility.

Click here to listen to McGuffey's comments.

The Regional Haze rule is aimed at returning skies to the level of natural visibility before human development. It requires states to make progress toward the visibility goal over a period of years, finally achieving it by the year 2064. The rule applies to visibility in Class One areas, which in North Dakota include the north and south units of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Lostwood Wilderness Area near Powers Lake. 

McGuffey points out that North Dakota is one of only four states to have never violated federal air quality standards that protect human health and the environment. He said visibility issues in North Dakota are primarily from sources outside the state's control.

Click here to listen to McGuffey's comments.

State and industry officials expect the federal Environmental Protection Agency will object to the state's plan, mainly because further emission controls would improve visibility in other parts of the country. But McGuffey said that's not the case in North Dakota, in part because the coal plants that could be required to install emissions equipment are generally downwind from the Class One areas.

McGuffey was interviewed on the Energy Matters segment of the radio program What's on Your Mind. Click here and advance to the 43:50 mark to listen to the full interview.

Click here to comment on the state's Regional Haze plan. 

The ND Industrial Commission awarded an $850,000 grant this week to Semplastics EHC LLC for a lignite research project aimed at developing new uses for coal.

Mike Holmes, VP of Research and Development for the Lignite Energy Council, said the purpose of the two-part project is to make non-flammable, low-cost building materials and other components using lignite coal as the primary component.

Click here to listen to Holmes' comments.

Holmes said the research could provide new improved building materials out of lignite-based resources, which will provide additional markets tied to North Dakota lignite and create additional industry and associated jobs.

The total cost of the project is $4.2 million with the majority of the match funding coming from the U.S. Department of Energy. Other entities involved in the project are North American Coal Corporation and the Energy & Environmental Research Center.

“Low-cost baseload power from North Dakota lignite remains a cornerstone of our economy and the foundation of our grid stability and resilience, and the development of diverse new uses of lignite is a critical component of optimizing use of our state’s resource,” NDIC members said in a joint statement. “Through our state-industry partnerships, North Dakota continues to be a world leader in innovations related to energy resources.”

The Board of University and School Lands this week expressed its willingness to lease 480 acres of lignite reserves in McLean County for development by North American Coal Company.

The 320- and 160-acre tracts would represent an expansion of the existing Falkirk Mine, which supplies lignite to Coal Creek Station. The 1,151 megawatt plant located between Washburn and Underwood had been targeted for closure two years ago by its owner, Great River Energy, but ownership of the facility was recently transferred to Rainbow Energy Center.

Governor Doug Burgum, who chairs the Land Board, said he was pleased to see the lease application, which he pointed out would not have happened without the public-private sector teamwork that spared the plant from closure.

Click here to listen to Burgum's comments.

Based on the Land Board's willingness to lease the two tracts, Land Commissioner Joe Heringer said the department will proceed with next steps in the leasing process including posting notice on the department’s website and receiving public comment. Following that, Heringer said the department will negotiate and finalize the terms and conditions of the leases and present them to the Land Board for final approval.

The ND Industrial Commission voted this week to extend the deadline for applications for a state grant to help finance an east-west natural gas pipeline to deliver Bakken natural gas to the Fargo and Grand Forks areas.

The grant opportunity was authorized during a special session of the ND Legislature last November. Lawmakers appropriated a total of $150 million, the bulk of which would be devoted to an east-west pipeline, with up to $10 million allocated for a pipeline to serve the Grand Forks area from the Viking Pipeline which runs through western Minnesota.

ND Pipeline Authority Director Justin Kringstad said WBI Energy was the only company to publicly express its interest in the cross-state project, but ultimately sent a letter indicating its reasons for not submitting an application. Kringstad said other pipeline companies were also investigating the opportunity, but all concluded there was too much market uncertainty to pursue the project.

Click here to listen to Kringstad's comments.

Because Kringstad indicated the need for the pipeline still exists, and there is considerable interest among industry players, NDIC approved extending the application deadline to August 15. He said the state will soon need to build either additional natural gas takeaway capacity or find uses for growing natural gas production in the state, or both.

The Pipeline Authority did receive one application for the Viking to Grand Forks project. Kringstad said Viking Gas Transmission submitted an estimated $26.1 million proposal to building a 14-mile, 12-inch natural gas pipeline. He said further discussion with the company will be needed to determine the proper amount of grant assistance that will be required.

The ND Public Service Commission has scheduled a June 6 hearing in Williston on a permit application from Continental Resources to build 3.1 miles of pipeline to move natural gas to an existing oil well for an enhanced oil recovery pilot project. 

The company's application was filed under proprietary cover, but indicates that Continental intends to move compressed gas in an eight-inch pipeline from the existing East Mon-Dak WBI Energy Transmission Line to Continental’s Buddy Domindgo well pad. The company estimates it will invest approximately $3.55 million in the pipeline. The work will occur in an area south of Highway 2 and just west of Epping in Williams County.

Continental indicates that construction will begin about two weeks after it obtains PSC approval and that the work will take approximately
two months to complete. The company's application indicates the pipeline will normally move 20 million cubic feet of gas per day, but would be capable of 30 million cubic feet.

The hearing is scheduled to get underway at 9:00 a.m. on June 6 at Williston City Hall. Click here to see the PSC meeting notice and a map of the project area.

The North Dakota chapter of the National Association of Royalty Owners will hold its annual convention June 15-16 in Bismarck. 

NARO, based in Tulsa, is an organization that promotes the interests of oil and gas royalty owners through lobbying and education.

The agenda includes presentations from several of the state's top energy officials including Land Commissioner Joe Heringer, Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms, and Pipeline Authority Director Justin Kringstad. The group will also hear from ND Petroleum Council President Ron Ness, Geologist Kathy Neset, and Research Scientist Jim Sorenson from the Energy and Environmental Research Center.

There is a $100 registration fee for members, and $125 for non-members. Click here to see the agenda and registration details.

The weather stations that are part of WDEA's Wise Roads project occasionally provide a glimpse into the lives of the state's residents, including the two-footed, winged and four-footed kind. This week's collection of photos features a couple herds of cattle enjoying green spring pastures, a pheasant on the prowl in dense grass, and a group of fishermen casting lines in the Little Missouri River.

The Wise Roads project (Weather Information System to Effectively Reduce Oilfield Delays and Disruptions) was developed by WDEA to increase the efficiency of the movement of oilfield truck traffic. Most weather stations were placed in the core area of Bakken production, focusing on Dunn, McKenzie, Mountrail and Williams Counties. The project provides more accurate weather information to county road managers, especially about rain events, to minimize the need to impose weight restrictions when gravel roads get wet. It was developed in partnership with the ND Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN), which maintains the stations for WDEA. The project was also assisted with a $250,000 grant from the Oil & Gas Research Council.

Thus far, 42 new stations have been installed, 33 of which are located in the four core counties. Prior to the start of the project, Dunn and McKenzie Counties had just one station each, Mountrail County had three and Williams County had four. Click here to see a map of the station locations. Weather station data and high resolution photos can be found at wiseroadsnd.com. Additional information is also available from NDAWN. 

Sites in the photo collage are clockwise from upper left, Long Creek 5W in Williams County, with cattle grazing in a green pasture, Sunny Slope 3E in Bowman County, with fishermen hoping for a bite at "the crossing," New Hradec 8NW in Dunn County, with another herd of grazing cattle, and Portal 1SE in Burke County, with a pheasant strolling through some grassy habitat. 

Registration is open for the 6th Annual Governor's Summit on Innovative Education to be held June 9 at Dickinson Middle School. 

The gathering is aimed at inspiring innovation and re-imagining learning in schools across North Dakota, according to Gov. Doug Burgum.

"Whether an education professional helping shape young minds, a student seeking knowledge, a parent wanting the best for your children or a business leader invested in the future workforce, we all have an interest in the future of education in North Dakota and can work together to learn and drive positive change," Burgum said.

The summit brings together local and national leaders in education to share best practices and engage with educators, administrators, parents and students. Burgum said Dickinson was chosen as this year's location, in part, to highlight the numerous employment opportunities in western North Dakota.

Click here to listen to Burgum's comments.

The event will focus on innovative instructional best practices to personalize learning, as well as other community-derived solutions to best prepare young people for the current economy and citizenship. The summit is free and open to the public.

Burgum made his comments during an interview with Hope Sisk on KFYR-TV. Click here to watch the full interview.

Click here for additional details or to register for the summit.