ND Energy Growth Must Clear Hurdle

North Dakota is unique among the states when it comes to energy That s what the chairman of a group called Empower North Dakota says about the state s position in the energy industry He says the state has an abunDance of traditional energy as well as plenty of access to renewable energy such as wind power The 14-member Empower North Dakota group met in Minot today and heard about one of the key hurdles to realizing that potential - a lack of transmission lines Jim Olson reports Jim Olson KX News The joke is that North Dakota s state tree is the power pole Well if that s the case it s time to expand the forest Because North Dakota has plenty of power that needs to be transmitted to other states Shane Goettle EmPower ND The transmission issue is real tricky Jim Olson KX News Shane Goettle is the chairman of a group the governor formed called EmPower North Dakota It s looking at how North Dakota s energy industry can grow and create jobs But as committee members heard at their Wednesday meeting in Minot getting power out of the state is a serious problem Sandi Tabor ND Transmission Authority Our transmission system in North Dakota was built to serve its local load And now as we want to expand coal-based generation and we want to expand wind our system is just not made to do that Jim Olson KX News Sandi Tabor heads the North Dakota Transmission Authority - a group hoping to find ways to get more power transmission lines erected in the state But it s an expensive proposition Sandi Tabor ND Transmission Authority Our rule of thumb is one million dollars a mile But we ver heard stories of some line in Minnesota that are going at 1 4 million and costs keep escalating Jim Olson KX News And Tabor says there s no agreement yet on who will pay for putting up lines - it s a tug of war she says between rural and urban interests And Goettle says whatever answers are reached on paying the bill the whole issue is bigger than North Dakota Shane Goettle EmPower ND Really the solutions are broader than just North Dakota These are going to entail national actions as well as regional coordination in order to move the ball on transmission issues Jim Olson KX News And to move the ball this group will be coming up with recommendations for state regional and national action to help North Dakota s stand of power poles increase - and get electricity to regions crying out for power Jim Olson KX News Tomorrow we ll look at another topic covered by the group at its Minot meeting - the position of coal production in the state s energy future