Administration Heeds Heitkamp's Call to Hold Major Meeting for Energy Review in North Dakota

Press Release

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today notified U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp that North Dakota has been chosen as a site for one of the nationwide meetings the Administration is hosting to examine critical energy issues. These meetings will help the Administration develop a broader and more comprehensive national energy policy.

After President Obama established a Quadrennial Energy Review, Heitkamp called on the DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz to hold a regional meeting in North Dakota. The goal of the Review is to help the Federal Government better meet its responsibility of providing affordable, clean, and secure energy services to Americans. The initial focus for the Quadrennial Energy Review will be our nation's infrastructure for transporting, transmitting, and delivering energy. The meeting in North Dakota will focus on infrastructure constraints, with a specific focus on the Bakken.

The first regional meeting will be held in Washington, D.C. on April 11, 2014. In addition to North Dakota, other meetings will be held in New England, Oregon, Louisiana, and Illinois. The time and date for the North Dakota meeting has not been set.

"It makes perfect sense that North Dakota is a site for a Quadrennial Energy Review meeting, which is why I insisted that the Department of Energy come to North Dakota. Our state presents a unique opportunity to gain insight and gather ideas from state and local government officials, tribal leaders, energy and utility companies, research universities, and large and small businesses that are operating in our state," said Heitkamp.

Heitkamp is a staunch supporter of North Dakota's all-of-the-above energy strategy that is leading the way toward North American energy security and independence. On a wide-variety of energy sources, including coal, wind, oil, biofuels, and natural gas, Heitkamp is a respected leader because of her pragmatic, bipartisan approach to the discussion. Earlier this week, Heitkamp introduced major legislation to support a viable path forward for coal.

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