On this episode of Plain Talk, Senator Kevin Cramer and I discussed the recent attacks on Saudi oil facilities. Iranian equipment was used in the attacks, but the country is denying involvement. Cramer, who said he’s “read the classified CIA brief on the evidence,” said it’s his “sense” Iran was behind the attacks. “Any deniability…
How Can Democrats Reach Out to Rural Voters When They Hate What We Do for a Living?
Last month at one of the debates held for the crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates, supposedly moderate front runner Joe Biden said there would be no place in his administration for oil and coal. Biden on whether or not there would be a place for fossil fuels including coal and fracking in his administration:…
Guest Post: Wind Power Has a Lot to Offer as It Grows and Diversifies
This guest post was submitted by Chris Kunkle of WIND, or the Wind Industry of North Dakota. It’s a coalition of industry members and supporters who believe North Dakota should harness its abundance of wind for the continued benefit of its communities and residents. Members: American Wind Energy Association, Apex Clean Energy, Capital Power, EDF…
Young Americans Have Been Flocking to Energy Industry Opportunities in North Dakota and the Middle Part of America
Sometimes it’s hard to describe to people how much I love North Dakota. I was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and spent the first ten years of my life in Wasilla. When my family moved here the 4th grade version of me resented it. I loved the mountains and the trees. I wasn’t sure how to…
Wind Energy Companies Shouldn’t Be Dismissive of Their Inability to Produce Power When It’s Frigid Outside
We’ve had some positively arctic temperatures in our region this year. Back in late January, amid a “polar vortex,” Jason Bohrer of the Lignite Energy Council wrote a guest post for SAB pointing out that it was coal keeping the lights on. Definitely not wind power. You would expect the head of a pro-coal group…
Minnesota’s Taxpayers Paid $10,000 for This Awful Painting Depicting the #NoDAPL Protests
In 2018, the Minnesota Arts Board gave artist Jim Denomie a $10,000 grant to “create a series of large paintings in response to Standing Rock and other contemporary events from a Native American perspective.” Here’s what Mr. Denomie produced (click for a larger view): I’ll admit that it’s…interesting. In the same morbid way that a car wreck…
Jason Bohrer: Coal Kept the Heat and Lights on During the Polar Vortex
This guest post was submitted by Jason Bohrer, President and CEO of the Lignite Energy Council. During the Polar Vortex 2019, otherwise known in North Dakota as a “cold snap”, it’s a great time to talk about three concepts: reliability, dispatchability and resilience. Reliability is related to the ability of a power source to be…
Glen Skarbakka: North Dakota Will Continue as an Energy Powerhouse
Our lights go on at the flick of a switch. But there has been a revolution in how the electric grid is organized and operated that has greatly improved its economic efficiency and fostered new sources of energy (like wind and natural gas), though creating challenges for more-conventional generators (such as coal and nuclear). Until…
Shortages Are What Happens When the Government Tries to Dictate Outcomes in the Marketplace
The politicians always think they know best. Energy policy is no departure from this simple truth. The politicians use all manner of policy – from tariffs to regulatory red tape to subsidies and mandates – to dictate where we get our power. In Australia, much like here in America, public policy aimed at pushing that…
Pro-Wind Lawmaker Accidentally Speaks the Truth About Wind Energy: It’s Not Needed or Stable
“I want to see us support and make coal more competitive,” said House Minority Leader Corey Mock, a Democrat from Grand Forks, said in a committee hearing in Bismarck last week. “But I certainly wouldn’t want to do it at the expense of other energy industries.” That’s an ironic statement given that the topic at…