North Dakota needs to begin exploring ways to finance "large projects" that could potentially transform the lignite industry and the state's economy.

That's the viewpoint of Jason Bohrer, president of the Lignite Energy Council, who was interviewed this week on the radio program What's on Your Mind. Bohrer, who is a member of the state's EmPower Commission, said the energy policy advisory group examined the state's research and development efforts. They found the state does well with small projects, but needs a way to help fund "large projects."

Click here to listen to Bohrer's comments.

Bohrer sees tremendous promise in the capture and utilization of carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants and other facilities. He believes CO2 re-use could develop into a large industry in the state.

Click here to listen to Bohrer's comments.

Bohrer said financing large-scale coal research will be a topic in the 2021 Legislature. He said he would also like to see lawmakers authorize a study of the future risk profile of the lignite and oil and gas industries. Bohrer believes such a study would show the level of financial risk of investments in fossil fuels is actually quite low, which would enhance the ability of companies to obtain affordable financing.

Click here and advance to the 31:00 mark to listen to the full What's on Your Mind interview with Bohrer.

The resiliency provided by baseload coal-fired generation is still undervalued in electric markets, but the president of the Lignite Energy Council believes that may be about to change.

Jason Bohrer said the decision earlier this year by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to approve a stakeholder sector for the coal industry (See July 31 WDEA newsletter) was probably a contributing factor in MISO's decision to examine grid resiliency. Bohrer said the organization is taking a closer look at the value assigned to various attributes of electric generation.

Click here to listen to Bohrer's comments.

Bohrer said the addition of more and more intermittent forms of generation such as wind and solar has made the grid more difficult to manage. He said as the percentage of renewable sources increases, the grid becomes increasingly unstable.

Click here to listen to Bohrer's comments.

Bohrer said the importance of coal-based electricity to the regional power market can't be over-stated, particularly as the region heads into the winter months when a power outage could create a life-threatening situation. 

North Dakota's Congressional delegation issued a joint statement this week praising a decision by the US Forest Service that will permit additional oil and gas leasing on land within the Little Missouri National Grassland.

The Record of Decision opens the door for potential oil and gas production on 216,300 acres where the federal surface overlays federally-managed oil and gas resources. The leasing responsibility is shared by the National Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The decision doesn't approve any immediate activity on the land. If lands are leased, the proposed exploration and development actions will require additional site-specific environmental analysis and decision making. 

The tracts in question were part of the original leasing availability decision issued in 2002 in the Dakota Prairie Grasslands Land and Resource Management Plan. A supplemental Environmental impact Statement issued earlier this year addressed the changed surface footprint of oil and gas development since that decision, and the advent of horizontal drilling in the Bakken in 2007. The EIS noted “that oil and gas leasing of the specific lands ... is consistent with the (Grasslands) land and resource management plan." 

Senator John Hoeven said the decision "will help provide certainty for our energy producers and enable our state to continue its leadership in energy production.” But he acknowledged that under a future Biden Administration, which has promised to move the United States away from oil, the sensible decision will have to be defended. 

Click here to listen to Hoeven's comments.

Hoeven and Senator Kevin Cramer helped clear the path for the decision, inviting USDA Under Secretary James Hubbard to a roundtable with North Dakota energy producers earlier this year to hear feedback on the draft decision.

Cramer said the long-awaited decision gives North Dakota’s energy producers a workable management plan, and looks forward to working with the federal agencies to manage the lands "in the cooperative manner they were intended to be.”

Congressman Kelly Armstrong said the decision will help North Dakota to "continue to lead the way for American energy independence." while providing good-paying jobs for thousands of people.

Despite the promise of rigorous stipulations to ensure environmental protection, activists immediately complained about the Forest Service decision. Click here to read details in the Fargo Forum.

Members of the Northwest Landowners Association received an explanation at their annual meeting last weekend of litigation related to the ownership of pore space which, according to attorney Derrick Braaten, "is easy to say and very hard to do."

Braaten, who represents the NW Landowners Association in litigation over pore space legislation passed by the 2019 Legislature, provided about a 40-minute explanation of the complicated issue at the group's annual meeting Saturday in Watford City. He described state laws addressing pore space, the voids in the earth which can be used to store gases or liquids underground, as well as several lawsuits surrounding the issue. Braaten said the basic issue is whether oil companies and other parties are obligated to compensate landowners for use of the pore space under their land.

Click here to listen to Braaten's comments.

Braaten cited separate lawsuits in which oil producers argued that compensation was not always required, but he said that judges and the ND Supreme Court have issued rulings that said landowners own the pore space and their rights must be protected.

Click here to listen to Braaten's comments.

In response to the litigation, the 2019 North Dakota Legislature enacted SB 2344, which created a new definition of pore space, and added language that defined land as "the solid material of earth, regardless of ingredients, but excludes pore space." The primary purpose of the bill was to remove uncertainty created by the court decisions that industry lobbyists said created a “terrifying” prospect for disposal well operators, who feared the court’s interpretation could require they compensate adjoining landowners, rather than just the surface owner on whose property the well is located. The legislation was also intended to clarify that companies planning to inject carbon dioxide into oil-bearing formations to stimulate additional production are not obligated to compensate the landowners for use of pore space.

The NW Landowners Association called the legislation a "takings," depriving landowners of just compensation for something that belongs to them. NWLA filed a lawsuit in attempt to overturn the law, which is still making it's way through the court system. Click here to read or download the lawsuit.

The landowners also heard remarks from attorney Dennis Johnson, who lobbied for NWLA on the pore space bill, as well as author Clay Jenkinson. The meeting concluded with a panel discussion that included Braaten, Johnson and attorney/lobbyist Bob Harms.

Click here to watch video of the NWLA meeting. Braaten's remarks begin at the 3:50 mark.

Voters in the the Williston No. 1 and Williams County No. 8 school districts voted this week to approve a reorganization plan that will merge the two districts, setting the stage for the election of a new school board next week.

Unofficial totals from Tuesday's election showed both districts approved the plan by a wide margin. Williston No. 1 voters supported the merger on a 2,527-391 vote, or nearly 87% approval. The margin wasn't as wide in Williams Co. No. 8, but the reorganization plan still passed easily by a vote of 541-367, or nearly 60% approval. The official canvas was scheduled to be completed today.

The newly-formed Williston Basin School District No. 007 will have seven board members, five of whom will be elected at large and two will be elected from outside Williston city limits. Seven candidates are running for the five at-large seats -- Dawn Hollingsworth, Chris Jundt, Thomas Kalil, John Kasmer, Chris Lind, Cory Swint and Heather Wheeler. Two candidates are seeking the two seats outside city limits, Kyle Renner and Sarah Williams, both of whom now serve on the District 8 board.

The top vote getter for the outside Williston seats will win a four-year term and the second place finisher will serve a three-year term. For the at-large seats, the three top vote getters will serve four-year terms, and the next two will win three-year terms. Voting on December 16 will occur at the Williston ARC from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Absentee ballots must be returned by 5:00 p.m. the day before the election.

The reorganization plan approved this week will create a school district around Williston, with District 8 voting to transfer land to the Tioga, Ray and Grenora school districts in advance of the reorganization vote. The plan will take effect July 1, 2021.

Click here to see the reorganization plan.

Will there be enough workers to power the manufacturing needs of the future? An innovative program called Dream It. Do It. is working to ensure the answer to that question is a strong “yes.” 

The Dream It. Do It. program is a national, grassroots effort aimed at raising the perception of manufacturing jobs and recruiting the next generation manufacturing workforce. The program was established in the state of North Dakota in 2015 and in the years since it has grown.  

The goal of Dream It. Do It. is to reach out to students of all ages, but primarily high school students, to encourage them to become interested and gain an understanding of the manufacturing sector. The program seeks to explain the sector and the many different departments and career paths that are necessary to produce the end product. Students are informed that they do not have to travel far to find a career in manufacturing. 

An important strategy of the program is getting into the high school setting to talk about the manufacturing process and the opportunities found within this sector. Another way to promote manufacturing is taking part in the annual Manufacturing Day Expo held every October in Dickinson at the Henry Biesiot Activities Center. The event is a collaborative event overseen by manufacturers, colleges, universities and Dream It. Do It. junior ambassadors.

The program hopes to become more involved in the surrounding southwest North Dakota community organizations. Eric and Curt Kittelson presented the Dream It. Do It. program at the most recent Vision West ND consortium meeting.

For more information about the program, watch this video. For further information, contact Eric Kittelson. 

All driver licenses which expired after March 1 are due for renewal by Dec. 31. This aligns with Gov. Burgum’s executive order which extended certain expiration dates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Licenses not renewed by year end will be considered invalid. 

“Our Driver License Division has been working very hard over the past several months to process license renewals, but we still have work to do,” said Robin Rehborg, NDDOT Deputy Director for Driver Safety. “Today there are more than 12,000 driver licenses that need to be renewed by the December 31 deadline."

Driver's who have expired licenses are urged to schedule an appointment now to ensure they can renew on time. The NDDOT continues to provide driver license services by appointment only. No walk-in services are available. Customers can schedule an appointment ahead of time by visiting the NDDOT website to complete an online request or call 1-855-633-6835.

For safety reasons, only the customer scheduled for the appointment may enter the building. Customers are required to participate in a temperature check and health screening. Masks are required for the safety of the customer and NDDOT employees.

Some driver's license services such as change of address, renewals and replacements are available online.

So far in 2020, near 100 people have lost their lives in motor vehicle accidents in North Dakota. But the ND Department of Transportation is reminding motorists that seat belt use is the single most effective way to reduce injuries and fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. 

The current preliminary fatality count is 93 while last year in this same period the count stood at 92. Total lives lost on North Dakota roads in 2019 were 100. The last time fatalities were below 100 was in 2002 when there were 97. Should North Dakota end the year under 100 motor vehicle fatalities, it will be the third straight year in a downward trend.

“Each life lost on our roadways is one too many," said NDDOT Director Bill Panos. "Working towards the goal of Vision Zero means one more friend, family member and community member is around to celebrate all of life’s moments. We can all do our part by taking personal responsibility every time we travel in a vehicle.” 

With the first goal to decrease fatalities to 75 or fewer by 2025, Vision Zero uses education, enforcement, engineering, emergency medical services, and other methods to reduce motor vehicle fatalities over time. Remaining under 100 is a significant step towards the goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries on North Dakota roads.

Learn more about the Vision Zero strategy and its traffic safety campaigns at the Vision Zero website and be sure to watch the short video at the bottom of the first page. VisionZeroND.gov.

Visit the North Dakota Crash Memorial Wall to view memorials built in hopes of preventing another death on North Dakota roads.