Land Board OKs Grant for Williston School
Williams Co. Receives Grant for Road Improvement
The state Board of University and School Lands approved a $1.3 million energy impact grant this week to help pay for an expansion of the commons area at Williston High School.
The grant money will support construction of a 3,850 square-foot addition to the south end of the high school, adding space for roughly 160 students in the crowded lunch room. Total cost of the project is estimated at $3.1 million.
Williams County was awarded a $175,000 grant to help pay for engineering work associated with reconstruction of County Road 42. A separate Williams County grant request to help cover the cost of a bridge replacement on Co. Road 19 was not funded. A $1.67 million grant request for paving work on three roads in Missouri Ridge Township in Williams County also was denied funding.
The fact that some grant applications weren't funded does not mean they were without merit, according to Rick Owings, who manages the energy impact grant program for the Land Department.
“Non-funded is just due to the lack of available funds,” Owings said. “We had a big request of more than $7 million (total grant applications), and only had $1.8 million to give.”
Owings said the money came from impact grants that were cancelled or grants that were not completely expended, so the dollars went back into the impact fund to be re-awarded.
Other grant applications approved by the Land Board yesterday include $200,000 to Watford City to help pay for reconstruction and sewer repair on 8th Street NW; $100,000 for road improvements in Bottineau County, $50,000 to the McKenzie County School District to purchase portable classrooms; and $15,300 to the Noonan Fire Department for firefighting gear.
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Legislature Picks Interim Study Topics
North Dakota legislators will study a total of 46 different topics during the 2019 interim, rejecting 19 other topics that had been recommended for study through bills or resolutions approved during the 2019 legislative session.
The Legislative Management Committee met Tuesday, and spent nearly four hours going over the suggested studies. Fifteen of the topics on the list were required, but 50 more were “shall consider,” so lawmakers could decide if the study should be included, and 31 made the cut.
A study of the K-12 education funding formula is among the major required study topics. Added to the education list is a study of laws that direct how K-12 education is provided in the state. Also included in the education category is a study of school transportation; dual-credit and advanced placement courses; consideration of a teacher leadership incentive program; and a study of student behavioral health needs.
An ongoing study of tribal taxation issues was required by the legislature. Added to the tax study list was a look at alternatives to revenue generated by special assessments. Lawmakers will examine local revenue sources that could be used as an alternative, and the way in which fees might be calculated and imposed as compared to how special assessments are currently used.
Legislators approved consideration of a road train pilot program. Road trains are a line of linked trailers pulled by a truck, and are typically equipped with steering units to allow efficient turning movements. The study will looking into federal regulations that impact road train operations, and the economic impact of allowing them in North Dakota. Another transportation study during the interim will look into the development of electric vehicle infrastructure in the state.
Other major topics on the “must study” list include study of potential uses of Legacy Fund earnings; ways the state might be able to reduce health insurance premium rates; and a study of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation including a review the preferable location of DOCR facilities.
The legislative committee rejected two energy-related studies. One would have examined the practice of post-production royalty deductions, and the other would have studied establishment of a reclamation fund for wind energy development and the appropriateness of wind turbine setback requirements.
Legislative Management will meet again June 10 to decide which legislators will serve on the various interim committees. Click
here to see the full list of topics approved and rejected.
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NDIC Approves Slurry Disposal Wells
The North Dakota Industrial Commission this week approved the development of a pair of saltwater slurry disposal wells to be located in northern McKenzie County.
North Dakota has hundreds of saltwater disposal wells now, but the two slurry wells approved Tuesday will be the first of their kind in the state, according to Department of Minerals Director Lynn Helms. Adjacent to the wells will be a facility that grinds solids such as drill cuttings, scale, tank bottoms and radioactive material to a consistency that Helms said will allow it to be mixed with saltwater and injected underground.
Click
here to listen to Helms’ comments.
Helms said the alternative method of disposing of the solid material would be placing it in a landfill, which he said can sometimes be problematic. The permit application was submitted by Hydroil, which has hired an experienced contractor to manage the work. Because the practice is new to North Dakota, Helms said DMR developed additional requirements to monitor the operation of the two wells.
Click
here to listen to Helms’ comments.
Helms said there was some opposition at the DMR hearing on the application, but he said the comments weren’t applicable to the slurry well.
Click
here to listen to Helms’ comments.
Helms said slurry wells now exist in Alaska and Louisiana, and DMR adopted the best practices it found in the two states. The two wells will be drilled on the west side of Hwy 85 just south of the Missouri River.
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Oil Industry Growth Will Boost Electric Demand
A new study of future electrical needs in North Dakota, primarily in the oil-producing counties, shows demand could increase more than 70 percent over the next 20 years.
The analysis, conducted by Barr Engineering for the North Dakota Transmission Authority, based the estimate on projected increases in oil and gas production, large industrial and commercial growth associated with production, and anticipated growth in population. The study relied on projected oil and gas production volumes from the North Dakota Pipeline Authority, considering both a low scenario and a consensus scenario. The large industrial/commercial load category includes gas processing plants, oil refineries, and oil transmission pipeline pumps.
Energy consumption in the study period (2018-2038) is projected to increase 44% (low scenario) to 71% (consensus scenario), ranging from 15,000 to 18,000 Gigawatt hours. Baseline consumption is currently just over 10,000 GWh. The majority of the growth is in load categories which have nearly flat demand curves. Because consumption is fairly steady, the study used a 92% load factor and an 86% capacity factor to predict the state will need an additional 670 to 1,000 megawatts of generating capacity by 2038.
“One thing that’s absolutely amazing from utility experience is to have an area like this with a 92% load factor,” said Transmission Authority Director John Weeda. “You know most utilities around the country would give their eye teeth to have a load factor that was that flat.”
Weeda said he believes the required generation estimates are conservative. He said he expects utilities would invest in more generation than is projected by the study.
Click
here
to read or download the 91-page study.
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Carbon Capture Gets Its Day in DC
EERC’s Harju Testifies Before Congress
As he testified to Congress, John Harju witnessed something unusual. It was bipartisan agreement with the basic tenet that the technologies for carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) represent a practical approach to counter climate change.
Harju, vice president for strategic partnerships at UND’s Energy & Environmental Research Center, feels the concept is enjoying strong support from the legislative and executive branches of the federal government and has for the past 16 years.
At the hearing, witnesses testified that the equivalent of millions of cars have been taken off the road with systems capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for underground storage or for re-use in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), cement, plastic and soft drinks.
Harju, who was interviewed this week on the radio program,
Energy Matters, described how society emits CO2 as we go about our business. He said “there is an inextricable link between carbon dioxide emissions and primary economic engines in a particular region” and talked about the goal of CCUS research.
Click
here for Harju's comments.
The task before EERC is to reduce CO2 emissions in a meaningful way using the best technologies. Harju outlined some the CO2 projects EERC is currently involved with to reduce and bring value to a wasted resource.
For more information on Harju’s testimony to Congress, click
here.
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Fedorchak Addresses Utility Fuel Switching
On May 20, Xcel Energy
announced plans to close its two remaining coal-fired electric plants a decade earlier than scheduled. The decision puts the utility on pace to be coal-free by 2030, when it will become reliant on electricity from a nuclear power plant and the addition of significant wind, solar and natural gas energy generation.
Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak said she wasn't surprised by the announcement. She said Xcel announced last December that it intended to employ 100% carbon-free energy by 2050 even though she said it's not technically feasible today and “seems a bit of a stretch.”
Fedorchak, who was interviewed on the radio program,
Energy Matters, said Xcel has the most aggressive plans of any utility in the nation. She said the PSC will have questions for the Minnesota-based utility about the impact its plan will have on rates charged to North Dakota customers.
Click
here for Fedorchak's comments.
Current work on CO2 capture will be important because, as Fedorchak says, “coal is not the culprit." She said the public cannot continue to demonize coal because it has far too many benefits.
Click
here for Fedorchak's comments.
Click
here to learn more about Xcel Energy’s plan to end its use of coal.
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ND Department of Environmental Quality
North Dakota’s Newest State Agency is Here
The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality became an independent agency on April 29, 2019, and last Friday held a media event and public open house.
The work to pull the environmental section out of the ND Department of Health began with the 2017 legislative session when lawmakers passed
SB 2327 which split the Environmental Health Section from NDDOH to create the new agency.
All programs administered by the new department have gone through a rigorous review from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA granted the DEQ "primacy" which allows the state agency to administer federal programs at the state level.
DEQ Director Dave Glatt was a guest on the
Energy Matters radio show this week and talked about the grueling process to obtain the reviews and approval from the EPA.
Click
here for Glatt's comments.
Glatt said that states run about 96% of the environmental programs primarily because they are closer to the specifics of the state’s conditions and can provide better and more effective regulation.
Click
here for Glatt's comments.
With a new stand-alone agency, Glatt expects there will be many benefits from the department and its oversight of environmental issues in the state.
Click
here for Glatt's comments.
The DEQ will be overseen by a new 13-member Environmental Review Advisory Board, created through the consolidation of the existing Air Quality Advisory Board and Water Pollution Control Advisory Board. The new board will consist of the state engineer, state geologist, director of the state Game and Fish Department, and 10 members appointed by the Governor. The board also reserves three spots for representatives of crop agriculture, the livestock industry and agronomy/soil sciences.
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Comments Sought On Literacy Plan
State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler is asking North Dakotans to provide their opinion about a comprehensive state literacy instruction plan that is being updated this summer.
The plan is a framework for strengthening students’ abilities to read, write, speak and listen. It includes leadership, instruction and intervention, standards alignment, assessment and evaluation, professional development, and family and community engagement.
Local literacy plans are common in North Dakota, but not all of them are aligned with the standards and goals of the state’s updated literacy instruction plan, Baesler said.
Click
here to see the most recent draft. North Dakotans who want to comment about the plan, or suggest changes to it, may use an
online form to make their views known. Click
here for more information about the Comprehensive Literacy Instruction Plan. Public comment is being taken through June 15.
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NDDOT Adds Online Bidding to Vehicle Auction
The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) is launching a new online bidding opportunity to customers interested in purchasing vehicles from the State Fleet Vehicle Auction.
Beginning with the June 5 auction, the event will be simulcast online to provide customers the opportunity to place a bid from anywhere using a computer, smartphone or tablet. The on-site auction will continue to be held at its regular locations in Bismarck or Fargo.
State Fleet Manager Tim Paul said the Department is excited to offer the service to customers.
“This is a great opportunity for the NDDOT and our patrons because it will allow people who could not otherwise make it to the auction, the same opportunity as those attending the event,” Paul said. “It will also benefit the vehicle sale by allowing more people to participate than ever before.”
Paul said customers have been inquiring about the possibility for some time and thinks many will appreciate the opportunity to bid remotely in the comfort of their homes or office.
Click
here for more information.
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Public Meeting to discuss improvements to US Highway 85
A public input meeting has been scheduled in Belfield to discuss improvements to Highway 85 which runs through the community.
The meeting will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, at Memorial Hall,107 2nd Avenue NE, in Belfield. A formal presentation will begin at 5:30. NDDOT officials will discuss proposed improvements to Hwy 85 from 4th Ave NE to Interstate 94. Representatives from Brosz Engineering will also be on hand to answer questions and discuss concerns.
Click
here for more information.
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WDEA Offering Energy Scholarships
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 Gary Wilz said the association is offering the scholarships to help the industry and western communities meet the workforce challenges now being experienced with the surge in oil industry activity.
“We recognize that North Dakota will see benefits from higher oil prices only if the industry is able to attract the workforce it needs,” said Wilz, who is Superintendent of the Killdeer Public School District. “We want to do everything we can to encourage young people to explore the many opportunities for a rewarding career in the energy industry.”
Funding for the scholarship program is generated by sponsorships of WDEA’s annual meeting, as well as royalties from advertising in Basin Bits magazine.
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 August 31, 2019. Scholarships will be awarded in September.
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Quick Connect
- Nearly 70 apply for North Dakota ethics commission -- Fargo Forum
- KLJ contracted for survey of North Dakota's Missouri River mineral acres -- Bismarck Tribune
- Hundreds of construction projects on North Dakota roads this summer -- Fargo Forum
- ND Public Service Commission to hold hearings on pipeline conversions -- Bismarck Tribune
- Smoke and haze troubling for Minot region, source is Alberta wildfires -- Minot Daily News
- Tioga City Commission leaders support possible plastics plant at meeting -- Tioga Tribune
- Bakken tagged first in new radar system for beyond visual line of sight drones -- Williston Herald
- North Dakota rail inspection extended, may be made permanent -- Associated Press
- North Dakota poised to sue Washington State over Bakken crude-by-rail bill -- Inside Sources
- Nearly six years after record oil spill, North Dakota landowners see work ahead -- Fargo Forum
- Lower Missouri River flows high, Lake Sakakawea release reduced -- Minot Daily News
- Wheels already in motion on Theodore Roosevelt presidential library -- Fargo Forum
- Can the state save rural grocery stores? Lawmakers want to review their options -- KFYR-TV
- Group resubmits petition seeking to protect North Dakota voters' powers -- Fargo Forum
- Optical illusions, slant house and magic will be on display in Medora this summer -- KXMB-TV
- American shale is reshaping energy markets and stabilizing global oil prices -- Energy In Depth
- Keep-it-in-ground group targets Louisiana pipeline infrastructure -- Energy in Depth
- Hitting the open road, vehicle usage at all-time high and travel volume increases -- IER
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Factoid of the Week
This is the 11th year of the ND Petroleum Council's Bakken Rocks Cookfest. Since the event began, it’s been held in 20 different communities. This year Cookfests will be held in Bowman on July 16 and Van Hook on July 18. Cookfest offers participants an opportunity to learn more about the oil & gas business from industry experts, meet new people and pig out on some of the best BBQ in the state.
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June 5
Bismarck
June 6
Bismarck
June 10
Bismarck
June 10-13
Bismarck
June 12
Denver
June 17-20
Bismarck
July 6
Williston
July 11 -12
Eagle Ridge Golf Course and The Links of ND
July 16-17
Bismarck
July 16
Bowman
July 17
New Town
July 18
Van Hook
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Oil prices and rig count
May 31, 2019
WTI Crude: $55.02
Brent Crude: $64.72
Natural Gas: $2.48
North Dakota Active Rigs: 65 (down 1)
5/31
/2018
-- 65 rigs
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Geoff Simon
Editor/Executive Director
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