Bismarck Tribune - Bismarck News - Mathern unveils wind plan

Mathern unveils wind plan

Aug 21, 2008 - 04:08:29 CDT

By BRIAN GEHRING
Bismarck Tribune

It seemed appropriate that on a windy morning, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tim Mathern unveiled his four-point plan to make North Dakota the nation's leader in wind energy development.

Mathern, a state senator from Fargo, held a press conference in Bismarck on Wednesday at a breezy intersection on North 26th Street.

He said that while agriculture remains the "bedrock" of the state's economy, North Dakota hasn't seized the opportunity to become the leader in wind energy development.

"All we're lacking is the right leadership," he said.

Don Larson, campaign manager for Gov. John Hoeven, responded by saying much of what Mathern has outlined is already in place.

North Dakota is ranked No. 1 in the nation when it comes to wind energy potential.

Mathern said according to the U.S. Department of Energy, North Dakota could supply the country with as much as 25 percent its electricity needs with just wind power.

In recent years, out-of-state companies like Florida Power and Light have constructed wind farms in the Center and Wilton areas. Other wind farms are scattered across the state.

But Mathern says the state has dropped the ball because the lion's share of the profits generated from electricity here go elsewhere.

Farmers who own land where the giant wind turbines are erected are paid an annual fee over the course of a long-term lease.

But when comparing what the farmer receives to what the energy company that sells the end product nets, Mathern says it's a disparaging difference.

"Our North Dakota folks are being left behind," he said.

Mathern's plan consists of a four-tier platform to address current and future issues in wind power development.

The first step, he said, will be to create an Office of Renewable Energy that would consolidate all of the state's efforts.

Larson said Hoeven and the Legislature have already established an office of renewable energy and efficiency within the Department of Commerce, which is developing the full gamut of North Dakota's renewable energy resources, including wind, ethanol, biodiesel and biomass.

Mathern said his plans call for the state to produce as much as 10,000 megawatts of wind-generated electricity by the 2020 and 15,000 megawatts by 2030.

Second, Mathern said the state must address the problem of transmission capacity.

He said the Hoeven administration has not been aggressive enough on a national level to place North Dakota at the head of the table when it comes to wind energy development.

Larson said as a former chairman of the National Governor's Association's Natural Resource Committee, Hoeven has been a leader on a national level when it comes to exploring options not only for coal and oil, but for renewable energy sources.

Mathern said the third component of his plan would be to partner with farmers to organize cooperatives that would construct and manage wind farms.

That, in turn, would lead to the future development of spin-off industries that would develop to supply other goods and services needed by the industry.

Mathern said a prime example of that type of ripple effect is the production of anhydrous ammonia, a by-product of synthetic natural gas made from lignite mined in North Dakota.

He said the long-term effect of developing wind power would mean retaining the state's workforce and attracting new jobs.

He said it would go a long way in reversing the decline of the state's rural economies.

Part of that, Mathern said, would require the state, as a whole, to adjust its collective attitude and change its "sense of self."

"There's an assumption that out-of-state interests can do it better," he said. "It's a matter of leadership."

The final step, Mathern said, would be to welcome national leaders who share his vision for the state.

He said one such opportunity comes today when he plans to meet with Texas oil man T. Boone Pickers in Fargo.

Larson said the state is already partnering with the ag community to open up new possibilities.

"The last legislative session, the governor worked to put together a $42 million agricultural-based energy program to build not only North Dakota's wind resources, but also our renewable fuels research, ethanol, biodiesel and biomass resources," Larson said.

He said the governor is looking at the "whole picture" from a scientific and realistic perspective that will be under continual review.

"We can do more and we will do more," said Larson. "The governor is doing it the right way."

News > Local

Printer friendly version Mathern unveils wind plan

Comments

VoR wrote on Sep 1, 2008 2:08 AM:

" As we all know, demographically our state is disproportionately losing its young people for a number of reasons. Low wages, lack of opportunity and this pervasive and persistent hostility to change among them. North Dakota is a sleeping giant particularly in the area of energy and could, if we would simply take the initiative and expand our future emphasis on technological advancement beyond the limited growth prospects of oil and coal could produce thousands of high paying jobs in the growing sphere of alternative and renewable fuel development particularly in the area of wind. The type of jobs that attract younger, more educated and progressive workers.

Unfortunately it seems that we will continue to be satisfied with the foot-dragging reticence that has gotten us to the place we are today. And as we watch other states like Texas, Montana & Minnesota promote and adopt the policies that encourage this type of growth as our vital young population slips away, at least we can continue to hold our heads high and proclaim that the Republican party can count on our support in every Presidential election and the kids will probably come up to visit us once in a while. Until of course they just get too busy raising their own families, somewhere else. "

kenny wrote on Aug 28, 2008 10:43 PM:

" Mathern is a couple of years behind. Wind towers are going up everywhere in the state and more are being outlined to go up. Please tell us what you can do to improve what really doesn't need improveing again. "

JB wrote on Aug 28, 2008 10:03 PM:

" Senator Mathern is correct in developing a multi-faceted approach to satisfying our future energy needs. This includes getting operational wind/battery systems online. Every energy path will require capital investment and real understanding by leaders of how each type of energy - wind, solar, fossil fuels, nuclear, etc. - fits into the big picture.

As far as Governor Hoeven and his bio-fuels, the mathematics, both scientific and economic, indicates they aren't paying off currently without subsidies. Even with infrastructure bought and paid for, they are a dead-end because they aren't efficient enough, energy output wise, to compete with fossil fuels. "

VoR wrote on Aug 28, 2008 11:34 AM:

" To Halatbis, You are absolutely correct. All of the issues associated with wide scale wind energy development are not solved, but some very smart people are working on the unresolved issues connected to it. You mentioned the intermittency problem, i.e. That generators only produce when the wind is blowing & a dependable storage system for the energy needs to be designed. One of the promising potential solutions would be to build a hydrogen energy plant in connection with a co-op of wind farms. These plants would operate on a combination of wind and geothermal energy and convert the electrical energy supplied to them into hydrogen by a process called electrolysis, which uses electricity to separate water into its molecular parts, hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is an excellent way to store energy and would tie in perfectly with the anticipated demands of the coming hydrogen economy needed to power our next generation of automobiles. This would be yet another way to bring money and jobs to ND. The important thing to do is look forward not backward. ND could be on the cutting edge if we just get ahead of this thing. Tims plan is a baby step in the right direction. Lets use this resource to build our state into an energy giant. "

Halatbis wrote on Aug 28, 2008 8:53 AM:

" To VoR: You may see a broader view of this issue in the Dakota Beacon of August 2008 issue. It is available at the Bismarck Public Library: page page 42, 4344, 45; "Tilting we will go". There are some real problems in this energy source. Yes, I agree that it should become part of our energy mix, but we need to understand its limitations. Until such time some form of storage is developed for the peaks of wind generation it will be a small part of the energy mix. "

VoR wrote on Aug 27, 2008 1:34 AM:

" I'm simply amazed at the level of opposition I read here to developing our wind energy potential in ND. Not only does it provide a way for landowners in the wind corridors to make their land produce income all year long while 95% of that land can still be used for it's previous purpose. The two main challenges to large scale wind energy growth, the intermittancy problem and the transmission line issue are both solvable and doing that would create many new, good paying jobs here.

Once our transmission capacity is ungraded we'll be able to move this electricity anywhere it's needed. All we need to do is deliver it to the grid in markets like Minneapolis or Denver. In the unlikely event they can't use it, it can be moved elsewhere. Once it's generated an electron is an electron and could be moved to L.A., Chicago, New York or even New Orleans instantly. All the while creating income for landownerrs, utilities and the state government.

The point is that the positives monumentally outweigh any negatives to developing this incredible potential. It's the 21st century and it's about time that we start recognizing it around here before our population shrinks even more. Go Tim this is something we'd be stupid to ignore. "

Mr. Windy wrote on Aug 26, 2008 10:59 AM:

" Is this all that Mathern/Boucher have to offer in the gubernatorial race? The wind I detect is that which emanates from Mr. Mathern's mouth. And he questions Hoeven's intentions to stay through his next term in office when, in fact, both he and Boucher -- when they lose this November -- unfortunately, will still remain in the Legislature. "

EMBA wrote on Aug 23, 2008 10:43 AM:

" There was an excellent article in the NY Times not long ago on the wind development boom in TX. It is rejuvenating small towns in addition to creating clean energy. Yes there are infrastructure issues that need to be addressed. ND needs to develop genuinely clean & renewable energy. It takes more energy to produce ethanol than it actually creates (fuel for farming, hauling, processing). It is not considered a viable fuel source by the scientific community for this reason. Renewable energy plans need to be based on good science & good stewardship, not politics. I applaud Tim Mathern for his proposal and hope the ND legislature will invest some of its substantial revenue surplus into the infrastructure necessary to carry it out. "

psiric wrote on Aug 23, 2008 7:42 AM:

" coming from a small town in south central North Dakota, I am proud to see the state taking the initiative to capitalize on the renewable energy source of "wind." The turbines can also become a tourist attraction not unlike the Dutch windmills, and the turbines of Palm Springs CA. I live in Berkeley CA now and we are watching your progress into the new age of clean and renewable energy, away from more coal fired power plants. "

my Cents wrote on Aug 21, 2008 9:10 PM:

" Tell me how a cooperative that owns one of those coal power plants listed below can make money. I just don't get it. I didn't think cooperatives were for profit. "

Westriver wrote on Aug 21, 2008 7:31 PM:

" The ironic thing about these last two days with high winds is, that these would be days that the turbines would not be able to generate electricity because the winds were too strong. It is not only calm days when you don't get power, it happens when the wind is too strong. "

Dakota wrote on Aug 21, 2008 5:52 PM:

" Its funny how the Democrats want this technology, then in the end, fight the route of the power lines to carry this power as proven in 2 other states right now! or are too worried about the birds........Wind farms are not stand alone. The power needs to be carried some how. "

Just Curious wrote on Aug 21, 2008 3:18 PM:

" Now I've lost respect for old T. Boone. Meeting with Mathern will harm his credibility.

Seriously, can Senator Mathern do anything more than just keep trying to start a game of one-upmanship? The state moves to support wind energy and he just pulls a number out of the air and thinks it's sufficiently higher and more ambitious so therefore it must be.

Sheesh.... "

unrealistic expectations wrote on Aug 21, 2008 3:01 PM:

" You can build more wind towers, but you also need to build more transmission to transport the energy produced by those towers. Across the grid, there is a dire lack of transmission; even right here in North Dakota. How do you propose we solve that problem, Mr. Mathern? It's a problem that is bigger than North Dakota. While you likely have good intentions, your proposal is absolutely unrealistic and it shows you have very little knowledge of the industry you claim to support. "

pickensgrinnen wrote on Aug 21, 2008 2:58 PM:

" to "be realistic". you need to listen to the facts. t. boone pickens agrees. we can generate this kind of power with proper legislation & work from the private sector
what we need is infrastructure for transmission & legislation that keeps states like mn & ia from stopping or holding up transmission. these states, like ours, have coal, & they don't want wind energy infringing on their profits. well, we need ALL hands on deck, wind, coal, nuclear, solar, & cellulosic ethanal. The article sure sounds like "gov. mustache" has all this in the works without anyone elses knowlegde. kind of amazing & i'm sure he can get all this implementd with another term. maybe he can get this moving just like he did with his first campaign promis 8 yrs ago to take nd's teachers salaries out of last place, I think they are 49th now, that was a productive 8 yrs. GO GET HIM TIM, WE ARE BEHIND YOU!!! "

Law wrote on Aug 21, 2008 2:49 PM:

" The landowners sign a lease if they think it is fair. Mathern has no business telling these people the amount that should be paid. "

Westernite wrote on Aug 21, 2008 1:59 PM:

" To: This is news...FYI...North Dakota has some of the dirtiest coal fired power plants in the country.

http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/pub385.cfm

"Based on a combined ranking across all four pollutant categories (SO2, NOx, CO2 and mercury), the three worst-scoring plants in the U.S. were in North Dakota, with the very worst - Basin Electric's Leland Olds plant - coming in first based on a ranking of 35th for sulfur dioxide, 19th for carbon dioxide, 24th for nitrogen oxides, and 37th for mercury emission rates."

"The 12 states that are home to at least two of the 50 dirtiest power plants were: Indiana (5); Alabama (4); Kentucky (4); North Dakota (4); Ohio (3); Pennsylvania (3); Texas (3); Iowa (3); Illinois (2); Nebraska (2); New Jersey (2); and Wyoming (2)."

Once again...there is no such thing as clean coal. It is a myth that the coal industry is selling to the American people so they continue to make money off of coal.

It is time to phase out coal and more wind is the first step. "

Be Realistic wrote on Aug 21, 2008 12:04 PM:

" 10,000 MW by 2020!!! What is this guy smokin'??? There is no possible way for this to happen. Lets say the whooping crane doesn't exist and wind farms go up like crazy. The engineering feet to get approx 6600 wind turbines commissioned by 2020 is unrealistic. Acting as this fairy tale comes true, the 10,000 MW is still only the potential. Realistically you can count on an average of about 2,000 MW and there is no way to store the NRG. "

This is news wrote on Aug 21, 2008 9:00 AM:

" Is this really worthy of an article? All this does is highlight this candidates lack of knowledge on energy. Tim, do you realize that this is coal country and we have some of the cleanest burning coal plants in the country? Wind energy is NOT free. It is perhaps the highest price, least reliable source of energy we have. Wind energy is PR for most power companies. I agree that wind should be in the mix, but you need to research this topic further. "

GT wrote on Aug 21, 2008 8:45 AM:

" You have my vote Tim! Its time for a change. Hoeven had his run and his "good Ol boy Network" time to boot em out. and get some new blood. along with the 3 Stooges(Dorgan,Conrad,Pomroy) These elected officials get in on name reconition and the whoever has the most money. And don't tell me that they are good for the state and what they have done.. Blah Blah.. You people that are gonna slam me back. Your probally the ones that are gonna vote for OBAMA. Another one who has you all BLINDSIDED... Don't listen to the media. Get the real facts on these candidates. "

Grumpy Old Republican wrote on Aug 21, 2008 8:41 AM:

" Way to re-invent the wheel and try to take credit for it, Tim!! Thinly veiled in your plan (which is already in motion under Hoeven) is a gripe-fest and finger pointing. So, what type of cheese is best served with Democrat Whine? "

Senator Tim Mathern wrote on Aug 21, 2008 8:24 AM:

" Minnesota has less wind resource than North Dakota but three times the wind development. The proof is here for everyone to see.

Hoeven's talk doesn't a wind generator create. Senator Tim Mathern "

Post Your Own Comment

All online comments are limited to 350 words total.
Comments are reviewed for taste, tone and language before posting.
Some comments may be used in the Tribune's print edition.
We value and respect your privacy, but The Bismarck Tribune might
disclose certain information to governmental entities if served with subpoena.