02.25.21

Hoeven Statement on Confirmation of Jennifer Granholm as Energy Secretary

Senator Secured Commitment from Granholm for North Dakota Visit, Asked for Her Help in Leading the Way Forward on CCUS

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement after he joined the U.S. Senate in voting to confirm Jennifer Granholm as the U.S. Secretary of Energy. During Granholm’s recent confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Hoeven highlighted their time serving together as governors, with Granholm being the former governor of Michigan, and how that shared experience will better enable them to work together in advancing North Dakota and the nation’s energy priorities. To this end, Hoeven specifically asked for Granholm’s help with CCUS and secured a commitment from Granholm to visit the state and learn more about these issues firsthand, including:  

  • Developing carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies, like Project Tundra, which will enable the nation to continue utilizing its abundant energy resources.
  • The importance of supporting the strong partnership between the Department of Energy and the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center.
  • Streamlining the approval process for energy development and infrastructure, like transmission lines and pipelines.

“As recent challenges have clearly demonstrated, our domestic energy industry is essential to our quality of life, as well as our economic and national security,” Hoeven said. “North Dakota is a global powerhouse in energy production, and that’s due to the legal, tax and regulatory environment we’ve built. That’s the approach we’re working to replicate at the federal level, providing the right incentives and regulatory relief to support the implementation of new technologies, like CCUS, and investment in needed infrastructure to meet our energy needs, while also improving environmental stewardship. I believe that North Dakota is in the best position to crack the code on CCUS. I remain strongly concerned regarding the Biden administration’s early actions targeting our energy producers, however, I appreciate Secretary Granholm’s commitment to work with me on these priorities, as we did as governors, and I look forward to her visit to North Dakota.”  

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