POWERING PROGRESS
The North Dakota landscape is rich in beauty, but it’s also a treasure trove of natural resources that are fueling our state in more ways than one. Oil and lignite coal. Natural gas and biofuels. Wind and solar. North Dakota’s energy industry supports more than 75,000 direct and indirect jobs and accounts for more than $3.2 billion annually and offers some of the most significant growth opportunities for our state.
Over the past several legislative sessions, the Governor and the Legislature have implemented a comprehensive package of state incentives to stimulate growth in all energy sectors and to create a broad-based energy strategy that maximizes all of North Dakota's energy resources. These incentives appear to be working. Many new renewable energy projects have been completed, announced, or are under construction here, including wind projects. North Dakota ranks 5th in the nation for wind-generated electricity. After all, we don’t want those four-season breezes to go to waste.
And speaking of waste, we’re putting that to good use too. North Dakota is one of the top 10 ethanol-producing states in the nation. Yes, we’re literally turning corn and sugar beet waste into alternative fuels.
To top it off, North Dakota’s total energy production is six times greater than our consumption. We like those odds.
True to our roots, North Dakotans don’t shy away from a good challenge. We’re proactive and aggressive in addressing energy development here. Purposeful partnerships like EmPower ND help our state serve as a model for America in fostering innovative, long-term energy strategies to meet our nation’s growing energy demand and need for energy security in an environmentally responsible manner. That way we can use the gift our land provides responsibly and enjoy its beauty for years to come.
LINKS & RESOURCES
SUCCESS STORY
Waste Not Want Not
The Red River Biorefinery will turn hundreds of thousands of tons of sugar beet waste into fuel. Another byproduct? New jobs. Simply by turning what was once discarded vegetable refuse into big business — about 18.8 million gallons annually.
