North Dakota lawmakers debate regulating wind amid national power grid fiasco
At the center of conversation was a bill backed by Republican leadership that was substantially scaled back after opposition from utility companies and the wind industry. Written By: Adam Willis | ×
Rolling power grid blackouts prompts Roughrider Electric to call for limited usage as more than 8 million go without power as winter storms slam The Southwest Power Pool. (Dickinson Press file photo)
BISMARCK North Dakota lawmakers were mulling policies to tighten the regulation of wind farms Thursday, Feb. 18, in a discussion
that doubled as a referendum on the root causes of the massive power grid failure that hit parts of the country this week.
A measure calling for electric power reliability and price transparency has been changed.
As originally introduced by Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner (R-Dickinson), it would have required all electricity generated in North Dakota is either “dispatchable,” meaning it can ramp up or be shut down quickly, or demonstrates back-up capacity. It also repeals the “25 by 25” initiative, the goal of 25 percent of North Dakota’s electricity coming from renewables by the year 2025.
The change now requires the state to prepare an annual report on the status of the power grid. That falls into the hands of the North Dakota Transmission Authority.
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