Issue Position: Energy

Issue Position

There has been too little attention to the development of renewable energy. This is because coal is cheap and oil is abundant. We can continue to mine these resources while doing much more to invest in all forms of renewable energy.

As Governor I will:

* Invest much more in wind energy

North Dakota is the Saudi Arabia of wind. The state has more wind than any other state in the country. We should be first in the nation in generating wind energy. Instead we are ranked eighth, while our much smaller neighbor to our east, Minnesota, is ranked third. We need to catch up by investing in all elements of a major wind energy industry owned by North Dakota companies and individuals.

* Promote energy of the future

It's clear from looking at states that have an alternative fuel standard, that having timelines for developing alternative fuels works. Just look at Minnesota. The state is a lot further along in meeting this goal than North Dakota. We need to offer more incentives for companies to invest in the research and production of biofuels, wind, solar and other forms of alternative energy.

* Build an environmentally sound oil refinery

Western North Dakota holds potentially the largest oil deposit in the lower forty-eight states. We need an environmentally sound refinery to process that oil and to keep the profits from the sale of the refined oil/gasoline here in North Dakota. The refinery need not be state-owned. It can be privately owned, tribally owned or a partnership between private and public investment.

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