North Dakota looks to the future with clean energy

BY KAYLA PRASEK

Experts from all corners of the energy industry convened in Bismarck, N.D., Oct. 11 for the Great Plains & EmPower ND Energy Conference. While much of the discussion centered around oil, Phyllis Cuttino, director of the Clean Energy Initiative at The Pew Charitable Trusts, spoke about the future of clean energy in North Dakota.

Cuttino said clean energy will account for 60 percent of new energy by 2020. Wind and solar will be the cheapest ways to generate energy in most countries by 2020 and in all countries by 2030, she said.

“The reality is clean energy is growing rapidly worldwide. … It’s being driven by a number of things,” Cuttino said.

Electric and autonomous vehicles are also on the radar, she said. “Electric vehicles may not be very popular here (in North Dakota), but they’re incredibly popular in more populated places. States are also looking ahead to autonomous vehicles and are racing to get policies in place for them.”

Wind turbines saw the largest growth in the energy industry in 2015, Cuttino said. She added that nearly one-third of all U.S. power was generated from gas that year and $56 billion was invested in all energy, with solar receiving the most funding.

The wind sector is promising for North Dakota, as well, Cuttino said. The state is expected to add 1,800 megawatts and generate $2.9 billion in investments in wind power by 2023.

“Every state wishes they could be North Dakota,” Cuttino told conference attendees. “You have worked hard to have policy in place and have really supported these efforts.”

KAYLA PRASEK Staff Writer, Prairie Business 701.780.1187

kprasek@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

By Kayla Prasek