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Negotiations continue in the quest to find a new owner for North Dakota's largest coal-fired power plant — an effort that faces a looming summer deadline for completion. If no new owner can be found, the plant will shut down in 2022, taking 740 jobs with it.
A windfarm near Velva, North Dakota. Two counties in the state have enacted drastic restrictions on new wind projects in an attempt to save coal mining jobs, despite protests from landowners who'd like to rent their land to wind energy companies. Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images A windfarm near Velva, North Dakota. Two counties in the state have enacted drastic restrictions on new wind projects in an attempt to save coal mining jobs, despite protests from landowners who'd like to rent th...
A windfarm near Velva, North Dakota. Two counties in the state have enacted drastic restrictions on new wind projects in an attempt to save coal mining jobs, despite protests from landowners who'd like to rent their land to wind energy companies. Credit: AFP via Getty Images North Dakota Officials Block Wind Power In Effort To Save Coal Feb 25, 2021 North Dakota has lots of coal. It also has strong and consistent winds. It might be the perfect spot to showcase the long-awaited "energy transition" from climate-warming fossil fuels to climate-saving renewables. Yet that tra...
Power grid at center of debate over North Dakota’s energy future The possibility that North Dakota's largest coal-fired power plant will close in 2022 is driving a review of the state's energy policy and is causing friction over how to ensure the power grid remains reliable, with some officials worried brownouts could happen. Written By: Patrick Springer | Adam Willis | 12:00 am, Feb. 13, 2021 × Regional congestion on the power grid looms as an obstacle to further development of energy generation in North Dakota, prompting legis...
Another possibility would be to harness hydrogen from the coal, Weeda said. Hydrogen is a precursor to other chemicals and could be used to help move natural gas through pipelines by reducing the temperature, he said. Yet another possibility involves using new methods of storing electricity, which would enable the plant to temporarily store power to sell it when prices are higher, improving profitability, Weeda said. There is a proposal in Bismarck to allocate $65 million of the state's Legacy Fund earnings for research and development for North Dakota’s lignite industry, which could help c...