The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has expressed concern about the effects of a proposed 200-megawatt wind farm on wildlife habitat in Oliver County, but has indicated it will not oppose the project.

However, in a letter to the ND Public Service Commission, Greg Link Chief of the Conservation and Communications Division at Game and Fish, said the department recommends that developer NextEra Energy commit to a minimum of five years post-construction monitoring to assess the impact on leks and sharp-tailed grouse nesting areas.

The PSC has scheduled a January 29 hearing on the Oliver Wind IV project at 10:00 a.m. CST in the Betty Hagel Memorial Civic Center in Center, ND. The project will include up to 73 wind turbines covering more than 22,000 acres, as well as a 19.5-mile transmission line that will connect to a new 345-kilovolt substation at Leland Olds Station near Stanton.

The Game and Fish assessment of the project area determined that 10,442 acres, nearly half of the wind farm, qualifies as unbroken grassland, which is the preferred nesting area of sharp tailed grouse. None of the turbines will be installed in native grasslands, but Game and Fish found that 14 turbine locations fall within buffer zones covering a two-mile radius from known grouse leks.

Link's letter pointed out NextEra worked with Game and Fish to minimize impacts, leading to its recommendation that the company commit to offsetting 665 acres of grassland habitat. To accomplish the offset, NextEra will contribute $1.5 million to the state's Environmental Impact Mitigation Program, which is administered by the ND Department of Agriculture.

In a letter to the PSC, Ag Commissioner Doug Goehring said the department would expect to complete all mitigation offsets within five years of the wind farm's completion and operation. He said the mitigation offset efforts would be implemented on private land with willing landowners who will be compensated for habitat establishment.

PSC denial of a wind farm construction permit is not unprecedented. Four years ago, the Commission rejected a wind farm proposed by NextEra in Burke County based on opposition from Game and Fish and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (See June 14, 2019 WDEA newsletter). In that case, Link wrote that Burke Wind "could not have picked a worse spot in the state" regarding the wind farm's impact to prairie and wetland wildlife species. The PSC later approved the wind farm after NextEra revised its siting plan and reduced the size of the impacted area.

In its siting application, NextEra indicated that it has executed a 15-year power purchase agreement with Verizon Communications that will purchase 150 MW of the electrical output. The purchase supports "Citizen Verizon," the company’s business plan for economic, environmental and social governance. Verizon has a goal to source or generate renewable energy equal to 50 percent of its total annual electricity consumption by 2025.

NextEra estimates the total cost of the Oliver Wind project will be $316 million. Click here to read more details about the proposed wind farm in the December 1, 2023 WDEA newsletter. Click here to read a Game and Fish guide to protect grouse habitat.

Most people expect it to be cold in January, but MISO is getting ready for a streak of extremely cold weather, bringing freezing temperatures to all three regions.

MISO, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator which manages the electric grid in 15 states including parts of North Dakota, declared a Cold Weather Alert beginning January 13 through January 18, and conservative operations beginning January 13 through January 17. The transmission operator is coordinating with member utilities and neighboring grid operators to determine the specific risks associated with the bitter cold weather.

With more consumers looking for information on power grid conditions, the MISO homepage now includes a grid conditions gauge. The gauge provides a simple, visual snapshot into current operating conditions.

Late last year, MISO released its Winter Readiness Assessment which indicated sufficient electricity supply to meet expected consumer demand under typical conditions. The report also highlighted that a combination of both high load and high outages could cause a strain on the system in the month of January.

During scenarios like this, MISO operators rely on a set of emergency operating procedures to keep power flowing. The use of the emergency procedures allows grid operators to maintain resources with operating restrictions and keep customers aware of the current state of the transmission network.

MISO has a process of comparing its Extreme Weather Plan to how events occurred in real time. The practice allows MISO to compile a list of lessons learned to improve future emergency operations planning.

Click here to see the current mix of generation assets on the MISO grid.

Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the regional transmission organization that manages the grid for a 14-state region that includes parts of North Dakota, is monitoring the extreme cold weather events forecasted to impact its footprint.

The footprint includes states in both the Eastern and Western Interconnection. In anticipation of the arctic temperatures, SPP has declared multiple advisories for energy operators within its service territory. The pattern of extreme arctic weather is forecast to move south into the central U.S. throughout the weekend and into early next week. Minimum temperatures across the SPP footprint may be similar to those observed during Winter Storm Elliot in December 2022.

While there is still uncertainty with the storm system, SPP is projected to have sufficient capacity to meet anticipated energy demand. SPP’s all-time winter peak load is 47,157 megawatts, which occurred during Elliott. Currently, load is projected to be as high as 45,000 MW Monday, January 15, and peak around 46,000 MW Tuesday. High pressure building into the Plains behind the early week’s system may bring a sharp reduction in wind power generation, which would coincide with very cold air and high demand, creating a higher-than-normal risk of outages.

“We have substantial systems and procedures in place and our staff stands ready to mitigate any risks related to maintaining electric reliability,” said SPP Senior VP of Operations Bruce Rew. “While there is always some degree of uncertainty related to weather predictions, we anticipate enough generation to serve the energy demand of the SPP footprint throughout the storm period."

The details, timing and full impact of the predicted storm systems are still highly uncertain. End-use energy customers in the SPP region should closely monitor communications from their local utilities regarding any potential for localized outages, the need to conserve electricity or natural gas, and other requests to ensure their safety should those steps become necessary.

Click here to see the current SPP generation mix.

The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission sent a letter to Xcel Energy last week, asking that it reconsider the premature closure of its coal plants in Minnesota.

As part of Xcel’s strategy to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions 80% by 2030, the utility has indicated its intention to retire all of its coal-fired power plants in the Upper Midwest. The company has proposed to retire three coal units in Minnesota: one unit at the Allen S. King coal plant is to be retired in 2028 and the two remaining units at the Sherco coal plant are to be retired in 2026 and 2030. The three coal units total more than 2,200 megawatts of electric generating capacity. Xcel already retired the third Sherco unit, more than 900 MW, at the end of 2023.

“As you know, closing these plants will take nearly three gigawatts of reliable, dispatchable electricity generation off the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) grid precisely at a time when those resources will be needed the most to keep electricity flowing 24/7/365 throughout Xcel and MISO’s footprint,” the SDPUC letter said. “Premature closure of these plants adds to the uncertainty of electric generation resource adequacy in the upper Midwest including Xcel’s customers in South Dakota.” 

The letter cites the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's 2023-24 Winter Reliability Assessment which found issues in the MISO regional with "potential for insufficient operating reserves in above-normal conditions."

“Evidence is mounting that the premature closure of dispatchable generation will elevate the risk of electricity outages particularly in tight load hours including hours of extreme cold and extreme heat, as well as those hours when wind generation is low,” the PUC wrote. "The MISO area is projected to have a 4.7-gigawatt deficiency in generation resources in the 2024-28 timeframe." 

The PUC's letter also quotes Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner Mark Christie, who testified in a US Senate committee hearing last year.

"I think the United States is heading for a very catastrophic situation in terms of reliability," Christie said. "We are retiring dispatchable generation resources at a pace and in an amount that is far too fast and far too great and is threating our ability to keep the lights on."

The PUC said Xcel's proposed plant closures are the exact type of threat to which Christie referred. It added that it's also concerned about costs associated with the coal plant shutdowns.

As was admitted by an Xcel witness at a PUC hearing, "the decision to close these plants early is projected to cost Xcel customers $453 million more than keeping the plants open for their scheduled life."

The PUC pointed out Xcel's reconsideration of its planned shutdown would not be unprecedented. The letter said more than 13,000 MW of coal generation across the country have had their announced retirements delayed, many because of reliability concerns.

Xcel serves more than 100,000 customers in South Dakota, including Sioux Falls and the surrounding area. Click here to read the SDPUC letter, a copy of which was sent to MISO and the Minnesota and North Dakota Commissions.

A federal judge this week granted North Dakota’s motion to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the Sierra Club against the Environmental Protection Agency over its enforcement of the Regional Haze program.

The litigation challenges state implementation plans for Regional Haze, including North Dakota’s, which are under consideration and pending approval by the EPA. Of the 37 states involved in the litigation, North Dakota is the only one to intervene.

The goal of the Regional Haze rule is to achieve natural visibility conditions in national parks and wilderness areas by 2064. North Dakota’s latest compliance plan filed in August 2022 recognizes the state has already met or exceeded its targets and will continue making progress without imposing cost increases on energy producers by mandating new emission controls at coal-fired power plants. While the EPA found the plan included sufficient information, it has yet to act within the statutory clock, allowing the Sierra Club, National Parks Conservation Association, and Environmental Integrity Project to file litigation against the EPA. 

North Dakota's two US Senators applauded the state's decision to intervene.

“We’ve seen sweetheart sue-and-settle deals between the EPA and environmental groups too often. I’m glad to see Attorney General Drew Wrigley was successful in intervening," said Senator Kevin Cramer. "The Biden administration has proven its disregard for the state’s rights enshrined in the Clean Air Act, and North Dakota has a lot to lose if we don’t defend our interests.”

“Time and again, North Dakota has been rated as having some of the best air quality in the nation, which has been achieved through a state-led plan, not federal mandates,” said Senator John Hoeven. “Rather than celebrate this success, environmentalist groups are working to undermine our state’s authority and bolster Biden administration regulatory overreach."

Click here to read an August 26, 2022 newsletter article about North Dakota's submission of its Regional Haze compliance plan.

Most of us have heard stories about people who escaped a submerged car thanks to a special tool designed to break a car window or cut a seatbelt, but the week after New Year's, the daughter of the head of the North Dakota Petroleum Council found out firsthand just how valuable those lifesaving tools can be.

As explained by NDPC President Ron Ness, his daughter was returning to Montana last week when east of Billings her car struck a deer.

"The airbags deployed, and she lost sight and drove off the road, and hit a big tree," Ness said. "Somehow, she wasn’t severely hurt but was stuck inside her car as the door and windows would not open."

Ness said a passer-by stopped and tried to break out a window, but was unable to do so. But that's when his daughter remembered her mother had put a glass breaker/seat belt cutter in the car's consol.

"She found that, broke the passenger window and jumped out of the car," Ness said. "Minutes later, her car went up in flames."

She spent a night in the hospital for observation, but is okay and is back home in Bismarck.

Ness shared the story to possibly save others, and is urging everyone to make sure all their vehicles have the emergency tool readily accessible, and the basic knowledge of how to use it."

Op-ed by Ron Ness | ND Petroleum Council

We all benefit from a strong oil and natural gas industry. The billions of dollars in taxes and royalties paid to the State of North Dakota each year pay for education, infrastructure, and social services across our great state. In fact, over 50% of all tax revenue collected by North Dakota is paid by the oil industry. We also employ almost 50,000 people in high-paying jobs and careers. And the oil we produce here helps make our nation more energy secure and less dependent on unfriendly foreign suppliers. 

Industry investments in the North Dakota Bakken oilfield continue to be strong.  We have a stable rig count and the number of producing wells continues to increase. North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources reported that our state recorded a new all-time high of 18,619 wells averaging 1.245 million barrels of oil per day in October 2023. 

New technologies continually reduce the effects of drilling for and producing oil.  Three-mile lateral wells, advances in innovation, improved practices, and inventions have helped our industry lessen our impact on the environment while increasing the efficiency of exploration and drilling activities.   North Dakota oil and natural gas companies lead the world in the design and implementation of clean and efficient oil and gas exploration, development, and production technologies.

North Dakota producers are now using satellites, global positioning systems, remote sensing devices, unmanned aerial aircraft, and 3-D seismic technologies to assist with oil recovery, resulting in fewer exploratory wells. The adoption of emerging technologies such as AI and real-time analytics is expected to pick up as companies seek to enhance environmental safeguards and operational efficiency. 

Click here to read more.

By Michael Achterling | North Dakota Monitor

JoAnne Rademacher didn’t get directly involved in the North Dakota Republican Party until after she stopped posting her opinions on social media. 

“I decided to just get active,” the 70-year-old rural Ward County woman said. “Pick something, even one thing, and just get in there and do it. Make a difference where you are.”

Rademacher is now the newest member of the North Dakota Legislature, appointed Wednesday by the District 38 NDGOP executive committee to finish the term of retiring 23-year lawmaker Rep. Larry Bellew, R-Minot.

“Right now, my focus is on completing Larry’s term and doing the best job I can to honor his work and what he’s been doing,” Rademacher said. 

Bellew resigned Dec. 31, 2023, to move out of state to be closer to his grandchildren. His term expires this year at the end of November. Rademacher said the decision of who runs during the general election will be decided at the district nominating convention in February. She added, if the district nominates another candidate instead of her to run for the seat in November, she would be happy to endorse that person.

Rademacher, of Foxholm, which is northwest of Minot, describes herself as conservative, similar to Bellew. She grew up in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and moved to North Dakota after marrying her husband in 1977. Rademacher had three children and the family worked a 100-head dairy farm until about 2004, when they switched to beef and other crops

Click here to read more.

By a 2-to-1 margin, voters in the Tioga School District approved a $23.6 million bond issue this week to finance construction of a gymnasium and classroom addition at Tioga High School.

Unofficial results of the election showed 66.9 percent in favor and 33.1 percent opposed. There were 202 yes votes and 100 no votes.

School officials say increased enrollment at Central Elementary School has created the need for additional classrooms, but there is no room to expand. To address the need for additional space, the proposed building project would add a gymnasium and classrooms to Tioga High School, which would house 6th grade students in a separate wing.

The Tioga district encompasses parts of Burke, Divide, Mountrail and Williams Counties. Current K-12 enrollment in the district stands at 536, up 80 students in the past five years. Financing the bond payments will require an increase of 20.7 mills. Property owners would be assessed an annual increase of $93.16 per $100,000 of valuation.

School officials said they intend to seek part of the funding through a low interest loan application to the state's School Construction Loan Program.

Gov. Doug Burgum has appointed Brad Hawk to serve as executive director of the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission, effective immediately. 

Burgum cited Hawk's proven track record of leadership within the agency and his strong commitment to building state-tribal partnerships and relationships. Hawk has served as interim executive director since November 14, assuming the role after the departure of former Executive Director Nathan Davis. Hawk was named deputy director of the Commission in January 2023 and previously served as its Indian health systems administrator since July 2013. 

Prior to joining the Indian Affairs Commission, Hawk served for 11 years in various roles at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, including as associate vice president of community wellness from 2012 to 2013. An enrolled member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, he earned a bachelor’s degree in health administration from the University of South Dakota and a master of business administration degree from the University of Mary in Bismarck.

The Indian Affairs Commission executive director serves at a cabinet level between North Dakota's state and tribal governments to address issues including education, the legal system, economic development, social services, gaming, energy, infrastructure and health care. 

“I am humbled and grateful to have the support of Governor Burgum and Team ND to be selected as the next leader of the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission,” Hawk said. “I look forward to improving tribal engagement with the work between the five tribal nations and state leaders. I’m confident using future collaborations to enhance current efforts will help address challenges and open new opportunities for tribal populations in North Dakota.”

Governor Doug Burgum has appointed former Texas Health and Human Services executive Wayne Salter to lead the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Burgum cited Walter's more than 25 years of experience and leadership in human service programs, strategic planning and process improvement to better serve citizens. Salter will begin his role January 22.

“Throughout his career, Wayne has demonstrated a strong commitment to serving the needs of vulnerable populations and ensuring that essential human services are delivered efficiently and effectively, and that experience will serve North Dakotans well,” Burgum said. “His skill at leading large organizations, his deep understanding of complex social support programs, and his dedication to harnessing technology and implementing innovative solutions will help drive HHS into the future.”

Salter served as deputy executive commissioner of access and eligibility services for Texas Health and Human Services from September 2017 to June 2023, leading a workforce of more than 9,000 employees responsible for the administration of public assistance and community-based services and support programs. He previously served three years as associate commissioner for Texas HHS Access and Eligibility Services and 17 years with the Florida Department of Children and Families, including as deputy director of the Public Assistance Division. 

The Department of Health and Human Services is state government’s largest agency, with an approved budget of over $5.7 billion, including federal funds, and a team of nearly 2,500 employees.

North Dakota's Operation Intern program is designed to expand the number of internships, work experience and apprenticeship positions with the state's employers.

Attracting workers to North Dakota is essential to help meet the state’s current and future workforce needs. Internships provide a way for students to make connections with businesses and identify career options in North Dakota. The program’s primary focus is employers in the state’s targeted industries: energy, advanced manufacturing, value-added agriculture, tourism and technology-based businesses, and healthcare. 

North Dakota businesses can receive up to $4,000 in matching funds for the internships/apprenticeships. Funding can be used for items needed for the intern/apprentice to perform their internships, like wages, tools and equipment, essential training or tuition reimbursement. The funding is a one-to-one match.

The Year 1 funding window is now closed, all funds allocated for this program year are under review. The next funding window will open February 1.

To participate in the Operation Intern program, fill out the application. Applicants will be notified after the funding round closes whether they've been approved. The maximum amount of Operation Intern funds an employer can receive is $20,000 per funding round or $40,000 per biennium.

Applications will be reviewed by the Work-based Learning Program Coordinator and reviewed by the Director of Workforce Development at the ND Department of Commerce. A company’s eligibility will be based on qualifying industry and internship criteria. Learn more about the program here.

Nominations for the 2024 North Dakota County Teachers of the Year Awards are now open through the Department of Public Instruction.

The Teacher of the Year Program celebrates the work of a classroom teacher in kindergarten through grade 12. Any educator who holds a teaching license, serves in a role that requires a teaching license, and spends more than 50 percent of their time working directly with students is eligible to be nominated for the award.

The nomination period for 2024 County Teachers of the Year will close February 9. After that date, nominations will be accepted from principals and administrators only. County winners can apply to be considered for the 2025 North Dakota Teacher of the Year Award.

Click here to nominate an educator for 2024 County Teacher of the Year. 

North Dakota’s Teacher of the Year automatically becomes the nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program. Click here for more information about the Teacher of the year program 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the Harvey Public School District will receive funding for a bus through EPA’s first Clean School Bus Program grants competition.

The award will help the Harvey district secure an electric school bus provided by Harlow’s Bus Sales. Harlow’s will receive $13.6 million to purchase the bus in North Dakota, as well as 41 buses for school districts in Montana. 

“Today we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.

EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Program, created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, includes both a grant program to purchase buses, and a rebate program that allows schools to buy buses that replace existing school buses with zero-emission models. The Clean School Bus grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program

Read the EPA news release here.

Sub-zero temperatures moved into North Dakota for the first time this winter, and the ice crystals in the air produced an abundant variety of sun dogs. They are are colored spots of light that develop due to the refraction of light through ice crystals. Images of the various sun dogs were captured this week by the high-resolution cameras on WDEA's Wise Roads weather stations. Photos from Wise Roads cameras are updated continuously throughout the daylight hours on the Wise Roads web page.

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 NDAWN, which maintains the stations for WDEA. The project was also assisted with a $250,000 grant from the Oil & Gas Research Council.

Fifty new stations have been installed, 39 of which are located in the four core oil-producing 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. Weather station data and high-resolution photos can be found at wiseroadsnd.com. Additional information is also available from NDAWN. 

Featured shots this week are clockwise from upper left, Buford, 3SE with a mid-morning sun dog visible over the gravel road; Shell Lake, with a near circular sun dog as sunset approaches; Fortuna 4N, with a glowing orange sun dog to the right of the sun itself; and Epping 2SE, with a vivid sun dog as the sun sets directly behind a well pad. Click on the link for a high-resolution image.