ND DEM ENDORSES CAP&DIVIDEND

Delegation looks for energy diversity
Rebecca Beitsch, May 1, 2010 (Bismarck Tribune)

"Diversity is THE word for the energy future of North Dakota and America…With a push to decrease America’s dependence on foreign oil, traditional and renewable energy sources will be part of the picture, even if we don’t use them the same way…

"…[T]he major growth in industry could be in renewables. Although North Dakota produces about 1,200 megawatts of wind energy, projects now in their infancy will later bring that number to more than 7,000 megawatts. Ethanol and biomass production have yet to meet their potential, either…"

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"But for all its potential, North Dakota’s energy industries might be held back by a lack of ways to transmit its product…[T]he challenge of connecting various sources of electricity to interstate transmission lines could make for a real road block both for coal and renewable sources…In-state lines can be built with less hassle, but getting energy to bordering states will require a lot of work legislatively — troublesome news for a state that can produce more energy than it can use.

"…[According to Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D] cap and trade as we now know it is essentially dead…But a measure to stifle carbon emissions is likely…He favors a plan using a cap and dividend, capping carbon but returning money to taxpayers to help offset the higher costs of energy to the consumer."

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"Dorgan said he’s hopeful that new technology will find a way to make carbon a product rather than a problem…Other regulations that could hurt coal may come from the EPA, which has decided to back off the idea of regulating greenhouse gases, giving Congress time to act."

[Senator Dorgan:] “There are very few people that I know that want the EPA to act unilaterally…”