08.12.16

Hoeven Arranges Meeting with Energy Secretary, ND Energy Leaders

Working to Partner North Dakota Energy Industry with DOE to Advance Clean Coal Technologies

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven this week brought together North Dakota energy industry leaders and U.S Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to encourage the Energy Department to partner with the state’s industry to develop and implement commercially-viable clean coal technologies. The senator arranged the meeting to outline projects in the state to advance the coal industry, reduce CO2 emissions and provide reliable, low-cost power for consumers and businesses.

“There are several projects advancing in North Dakota that hold great promise for the development of commercially-viable carbon capture and sequestration technologies,” said Hoeven. “Our state has the largest lignite coal reserves in the world, and our industry has reliably produced and exported baseload power to surrounding states at competitive cost. With so much potential, it makes sense for the Department of Energy to work with us to leverage these new technologies and produce more energy with better environmental stewardship.”

At the meeting, Hoeven and the leaders pitched clean coal projects in North Dakota for new and existing power plants, including:

 

  • Project Tundra: Allete Clean Energy, Minnkota Power and BNI Coal are working on next-generation, advanced, full-plant scrubbing technologies to retrofit existing plants to capture CO2, which can then be sequestered or used in enhanced oil recovery. As a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Committee, Hoeven worked to secure $30 million in funding to help develop commercially viable carbon capture and sequestration, like Project Tundra, in the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, which the Senate passed in May. The leaders highlighted the project as a good candidate for those competitive funds.
  • Allam Cycle Pilot and Demonstration: The University of North Dakota’s (UND) Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), Basin Electric and Allete Inc. are working together on an Allam Cycle pilot and demonstration project for new power plants. The Allam technology uses CO2 to drive turbines and generate electricity and can be used to reduce carbon emissions in coal and natural gas production. The CO2 could then be sequestered or used for enhanced oil recovery.

Hoeven was joined at the meeting by leaders of the North Dakota Lignite Council, Basin Electric, UND EERC, BNI Coal, Allete Clean Energy and Minnesota Power.

 

Hoeven also serves as a member of the Senate Energy Committee, where he continues working to advance the development and deployment of innovative technologies to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the nation’s energy development. To this end, the senator worked to pass the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016, which includes legislation authored and introduced by Hoeven to help streamline energy regulations and address common problems faced by energy producers and consumers.

 

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