Mathern Unveils Wind Plan

By BRIANGEHRING

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.”

(c) 2008 Bismarck Tribune. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.