ND Governor Doug Burgum emphasized the importance of reliable, affordable energy to national security during the sometimes contentious first debate among eight Republicans seeking the US Presidential nomination.

In his opening statement at the event in Milwaukee, Burgum talked about growing up in Arthur, ND, a town of 300 people north of Fargo. He said in smalltown America, people look out for their neighbors and hold people accountable for their actions, which he said are values that Washington could use right now.

Click here to listen to Burgum's comments.

Burgum used another opportunity during the debate to slam Joe Biden's energy policy. He said other candidates on stage were missing the connection between energy, the economy and national security. Burgum said Biden's anti-fossil fuel agenda and his support for wind and solar hurts the US economy and raises the price of energy in the United States, while it helps the economy of China.

Click here to listen to Burgum's comments.

In his closing statement, Burgum said "I understand why America is hurting, Biden's inflation is choking us." Touting a familiar theme of his tenure as governor, Burgum said improving the economy would happen with innovation, not regulation.

Click here to listen to Burgum's comments.

Burgum's appearance at the debate was somewhat in doubt after he injured his Achilles tendon during a basketball game with campaign staff. But he remained standing throughout the two-hour debate with the other candidates, and joked about them in his first opportunity to speak.

"They were all wishing me well, but I think I took them too literally when they said, 'go to Milwaukee and break a leg.'"

Summit Carbon Solutions has filed a petition with the ND Public Service Commission asking that it reconsider its denial of Summit's proposed carbon dioxide pipeline.

The PSC on August 4 voted unanimously to deny a siting permit for Summit's Midwest Carbon Express CO2 Pipeline Project, indicating that it failed to demonstrate the project would not cause adverse effects on the environment and the citizens of North Dakota. In its petition for reconsideration, Summit said it had identified an alternative route that would move the pipeline farther north of the City of Bismarck. The original route, at its nearest point, was about 4.5 miles north of the city limits of Bismarck and about two miles north of the city's extraterritorial boundary.

"It is evident that certain concerns raised in the Order are related, directly or indirectly, to the proposed route of Summit's carbon dioxide pipeline project in Burleigh County, North Dakota," the petition states. "As further detailed herein, Summit has identified an alternative route along the areas to the east and north of the city of Bismarck that avoids existing and planned housing developments."

The proposed alternative would move the pipeline route so that at its nearest point it would be five miles north of the city's extra-territorial boundary. Summit's petition also notes that the PSC's denial identified issues about which neither Summit nor intervenors in the case were able to question witnesses. The company is seeking a one-day rehearing to present witness testimony to address concerns cited in the PSC's order denying the pipeline siting permit.

In a news release announcing its decision, the Commission said it had received extensive negative public comments during a series of five hearings on the project.

"Those testifying expressed broad concerns regarding eminent domain, safety, the policy of permanent CO2 sequestration and storage, setback distances, irreparable harm to underground drain tile systems, impacts on property values, and the ability to obtain liability insurance due to the project," the PSC wrote.

The petition for reconsideration was filed August 18. The PSC has 30 days to consider the request.

Click here to read Summit's petition. Click here to read a Bismarck Tribune article about the company's request.

The electric grid managed by MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator) remained stable this week despite high power demand created by hot and humid weather over much of MISO's 15-state footprint.

MISO announced early in the week that it was preparing for near-record electricity demand as the heat wave settled across the central US. MISO issued Maximum Generation Emergency Alerts on three days this week, notifying all local utilities in its operating footprint to prepare every available generation resource to serve the projected load. Heat indices, a "feels like" number that combines temperature and humidity, topped 120°F in parts of Iowa and other Midwest states.

Electric demand exceeded 120 gigawatts Wednesday and Thursday, but preliminary indications are it did not exceed its all-time system peak of 127 GW that was set on July 20, 2011. Throughout the week, the combined generation of natural gas and coal-fired plants was providing more than 80 percent of the electricity as power demand spiked. 

“We anticipate challenging operating conditions throughout the entire week, and we will need every available resource at some point,” said Jessica Lucas, MISO’s executive director – system operations. “We have issued several alerts and advisories based on the weather forecast. More emergency procedures may be required to keep the power flowing. That’s typical for a weather event like this.”

MISO issued a Hot Weather Alert, Capacity Advisory and Conservative Operations ahead of the extreme heat. The advisories alert member utilities and neighboring grid operators to expect tight supply conditions and were in effect through Thursday evening.

The Southwest Power Pool, which also delivers electricity to parts of North Dakota, issued a Resource Advisory for its entire SPP Balancing Authority footprint in the eastern interconnection through Saturday. The advisory was extended due to high loads forecasted, variable energy resource forecast uncertainty, and the potential for more generator outages. SPP also declared a Conservative Operations Advisory through Friday evening, encouraging power users to reduce unnecessary electric consumption.

Three new electric transmission projects under development by Basin Electric Power Cooperative are expected to improve deliverability and reliability for co-op customers in northwestern North Dakota when complete.

Jeremy Severson, Transmission Services Engineer for Basin, discussed the benefits of the projects as part of a panel discussion at last week's annual meeting of the wholesale power cooperative. The projects include a planned Tande-to-Saskatchewan and Wheelock-to-Saskatchewan high voltage line, being planned in coordination with Sask Power, that will add 110 miles of new 230-kilovolt electric transmission lines from existing Basin Electric substations to the Canadian border. Basin is also working on a Leland Olds Station-to-Tande transmission project, which includes 175-miles of 345 kilovolt transmission line and a new 345/115-kV substation, and the Roundup-to-Kummer Ridge 345-kV transmission project, a 35-mile line north of Killdeer.

Severson said the projects will provide multiple benefits to Basin's distribution co-op members.

Click here to listen to Severson's comments.

Severson said the power lines will use a new, stronger type of electrical conductor that should reduce outages during winter storm events.

Click here to listen to Severson's comments.

The three transmission projects, authorized by Basin's board of directors last year, represent an investment of more than half a billion dollars.

Senator John Hoeven met this week with BNI Coal General Manager Mike Heger and Minnkota Power Cooperative CEO Mac McLennan to discuss and tour the operations of BNI’s new coal lease area at the Center Mine.

The operations are able to move forward due to Hoeven’s efforts to secure regulatory approval, which prevented $35 million in costs from being imposed on homeowners and businesses through higher electricity prices. Hoeven advanced the approval of federal mine plans that enable BNI to develop the new leased section, preventing significant cost increases that would have burdened the company’s operations, as well as that of Minnkota's Milton R. Young Station, a 700-megawatt coal-fired power plant that provides baseload electricity in North Dakota and Minnesota.

The new plans were needed to allow mining of federal coal under a lease awarded in January 2021. Last year, Hoeven convened a meeting between Minnkota, BNI and Department of the Interior officials to make the case for timely approval of mine plans. Without approval, BNI and Minnkota would have needed to make costly contingency plans to move the drag line and develop other portions of the mine. Approval not only prevents increased electricity prices across the region, it supports the development of Project Tundra and the coal-fired electric industry of the future.

“Securing approval for the operations under BNI’s new coal lease area is about ensuring access to affordable and reliable baseload power for homes and businesses that remains available 24/7, regardless of weather conditions," Hoeven said. "In particular, preventing these $35 million in cost increases were key as we continue working to advance the coal-fired electric industry of the future through Project Tundra."

Project Tundra is a major carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) project being developed at the Milton R. Young Station. Earlier this year, Minnkota announced the project has entered its final stage of development as new affiliates, including TC Energy, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kiewit, were added to build the project.

Senator Kevin Cramer and employees of the ND Department of Mineral Resources visited two orphaned well sites outside of Minot this week.

The two sites are in the process of being plugged and reclaimed by the state with funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which included Cramer's REGROW Act (Revive Economic Growth and Reclaim Orphaned Wells). The bipartisan legislation was co-sponsored by Sen Ben Luján (D-NM).

“When Senator Luján and I introduced the REGROW Act, we took a really good idea created by the state of North Dakota and we ran with it. This brilliant idea used federal pandemic assistance dollars to keep oilfield workers employed during an economic downturn using the very skills they've learned from producing oil and put them to work reclaiming old abandoned oil wells,” Cramer said. “This is a win-win-win for workers, the environment and North Dakotans. This land can take on a new purpose, and grow food all over again like it did before an oil well ever existed here.”

“The NDIC is very grateful to Senator Cramer for sponsoring the REGROW Act," said Lynn Helms, Director of the ND Department of Mineral Resources. "The well plugging projects funded by his legislation are providing job opportunities for thousands of workers while fast-tracking environmental restoration,” 

Orphaned wells are those which are no longer in use and according to the U.S. Department of the Interior, are “environmental hazards and jeopardize public health and safety.” Also known as abandoned wells, they can contaminate groundwater, emit noxious gases, limit productive land use, create flooding and sinkhole risks, and can harm wildlife. As of December 2021, there are 131,227 documented orphaned wells and estimates of between 310,000 and 800,000 undocumented orphaned wells throughout the United States. 

Last August, Cramer announced the Interior Department awarded an initial $560 million from the act to 24 states, including $25 million to North Dakota, to begin work to plug, cap and reclaim orphaned oil and gas wells.

Aidan Pelton, who is a junior at Watford City High School this fall, received the Student Leadership Award at last week's Governor’s Summit on Innovative Education. 

Pelton was recognized for his involvement and leadership role in programs that support other students and encourage them to get engaged in the community. During an interview with Scott Hennen on the radio program What's on Your Mind, Pelton described his role in the high school's Little Buddy Program.

Click here to listen to Pelton's comments.

Pelton also serves as a member of Vision West's mental health subcommittee, which encourages honest discussions of mental and behavioral health issues. He was part of a panel at Vision West's Behavioral Health Summit held in Dickinson in June.

Click here to listen to Pelton's comments.

Pelton has also served as chair of the high school's ambassador program, which encourages local businesses to get involved in education and helps new students integrate into the community. The ambassadors hosted a cultural food fair in March that celebrated the 23 countries represented in Watford City, and are planning another one in October.

Click here and advance to the 1:44:00 mark to listen to the full What's on Your Mind interview with Pelton.

An Army Corps of Engineers project along the east side of Highway 83 will require a lane closure beginning next week for a two-mile stretch of the highway north of Coleharbor.

The work will occur between mile markers 155-157. Road work will begin Monday, August 28, and will continue as long as the weather permits.

The pipeline will be installed on the east side of Hwy 83 from the Snake Creek Pumping Plant discharge center. Northbound traffic will be narrowed to one lane with no shoulder in the work zone. The speed limit will be reduced and motorists can expect minor delays and infrequent stopping by flaggers.

Click here for more information about construction projects and road conditions throughout North Dakota, or call 511.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Montana-Dakotas State Office has opened a 30-day public comment period to receive public input on 13 oil and gas parcels totaling 3,670 acres that may be included in an upcoming lease sale in North Dakota. 

The BLM completed scoping on the parcels in July and is now seeking public comment on the parcels, potential deferrals, and the related environmental analysis. BLM will use input from the public to help complete its review of each parcel and determine if leasing of the parcels conforms with applicable laws, policies, and land use plans.

The parcels the BLM is analyzing, as well as maps and instructions how to comment are available here.

Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources. Before development operations can begin, an operator must submit an application for permit to drill detailing development plans. The BLM reviews applications for permits to drill, posts them for public review, conducts an environmental analysis and coordinates with State partners and stakeholders.

The comment period ends September 17. Information on current and upcoming BLM lease sales is available through the National Fluid Lease Sale System.

Get the date on your calendar! The annual meeting of the Western Dakota Energy Association will be held:

October 11-12
Astoria Hotel & Event Center
Dickinson, ND

The opening day will feature presentations on the current and forecast state of North Dakota oil production, an update on pipeline takeaway capacity, the latest developments in coal, oil and gas research, updates regarding LoadPass Permits, a panel discussion on transportation issues, and a panel discussion on the outlook for the state's oil industry.

Day Two will feature an update on the ND Petroleum Council's effort to recruit workers from Ukraine, a discussion of electric reliability concerns, a panel discussion on education policy and funding issues, a report on development of the Southwest Area Career & Technical Education Academy and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, a report on interim legislative activity, and the latest developments in the Biden administration's War on Fossil Fuels.

The meeting concludes with election of the WDEA Executive Committee, and a vote by delegates on a bylaws amendment to repeal Executive Committee term limits. Board members up for election who are eligible to serve an additional three-year term include Mountrail County Commissioner Trudy Ruland, Bowbells City Councilman Shannon Holter, and Stanley Public School Superintendent Tim Holte. The delegates will also choose two members to fill Executive Committee vacancies created by the resignation of Stanley City Councilman Zach Gaaskjolen and Williams County Commissioner David Montgomery.

The winners of five $1,000 WDEA scholarships will also be announced at the meeting.

Click here to see the tentative agenda. Sponsorships and exhibit space are available. Click here for sponsor/exhibitor opportunities. Click here to register to attend.

The Western Dakota Energy Association will award five $1,000 scholarships this fall to students in an energy-related field at a North Dakota college, university or technical school.

WDEA President Trudy Ruland said the association is offering the scholarships to help the industry and western communities meet the workforce challenges historically experienced with oil industry growth.

“We recognize that North Dakota will see benefits from the oil industry only if it is able to attract the workforce it needs,” said Ruland. “We want to do everything we can to encourage young people to explore the many opportunities for a rewarding career in the energy sector.”

Funding for the scholarship program is generated by sponsorships of WDEA’s annual meeting.

Click here to learn more about the selection criteria and how to apply. Click here to view or download an application form.

The application deadline is September 30. Scholarship winners will be announced at WDEA's annual meeting October 11-12 in Dickinson.

The 50th station installed as part of WDEA's Wise Roads project went online this week at a site about six miles south of Center, ND, nearly due west of Minnkota Power's Milton R. Young Station.

The Wise Roads project (Weather Information System to Effectively Reduce Oilfield Delays and Disruptions), developed in partnership with the ND Agricultural Weather Network, was funded in part by a $250,000 grant from the Oil and Gas Research Council. The weather information the stations provide, especially precipitation data, helps county road managers identify areas where gravel roads have become saturated, necessitating weight restrictions that shut down oil field trucking operations. Having more precise precip data allows road managers to better pinpoint the restrictions, allowing industry operations to continue in areas where rain did not fall.

The Wise Roads station south of Center in Oliver County is the first and only station not in an oil-producing county. The site was chosen because it helps highlight the importance of reliable, coal-based electricity to the oil industry, and because carbon dioxide capture and sequestration activities are emerging in the area, it also calls attention to the ultimate prize of the potential use of CO2 for enhanced oil recovery.

The station, which is located adjacent to a heavily-traveled gravel road, also fills a weather data void, since it is located about midway between existing NDAWN stations at Hazen and Mandan. The Center station will soon be added to WDEA's Wise Roads web site (www.wiseroadsnd.com), where users will be able to view photos and access weather data from the station.

Thunderstorms rolled through western North Dakota late this week, bringing beneficial late summer moisture to maturing corn and sunflower crops. After the storm clouds passed, Wise Roads cameras captured some wonderful rainbows. Images 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.

Thus far, 50 new stations have been installed, 39 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. 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, Liberty 5E with a massive thundershower in the distance, Center, with a shelf cloud rolling past the newly-installed station, Palermo with a rainbow partially obscured by sunshine, and Sawyer in Ward County, with a colorful double rainbow. Click on the link for a high-resolution image.