A retired North Dakota Department of Commerce employee has been hired to lead a new energy corridor project.

Bismarck State College announced Kim Christianson as director of the Great Plains Energy Corridor.

Christianson worked in the office of renewable energy and energy efficiency with the commerce department before taking early retirement.

"It looked like an interesting opportunity," Christianson said.

The energy corridor is part of a national initiative to bring different sectors of the energy industry together, provide education and outreach. The Great Plains Energy Corridor is at the National Energy Center of Excellence building at BSC.

The corridor is a federally funded project with earmarks sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Sen Kent Conrad, D-N.D. In the last budget cycle $250,000 was allocated to the project and $300,000 will be allocated in the next budget cycle, Dorgan said.

Christianson's office will coordinate the Great Plains Energy Expo and the Renewable Energy Action Summit.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@bismarcktribune.com.)