Coal industry doing well in North Dakota despite Biden Administration’s energy policies

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – The coal industry has faced some real challenges in recent years as the Biden Administration pushes toward carbon-neutral energy sources. That’s just one topic the Lignite Energy Council is discussing at its annual meeting in Bismarck.

This is a pivotal moment for the coal industry. The Biden Administration set a goal in April of a carbon-pollution-free power sector by 2035, something the CEO of the Lignite Energy Council sees as a threat to the business.

“The Biden Administration has imposed regulations that threaten some of those relationships, as well as threatens the way that the industry does business,” said Jason Bohrer, president and CEO of Lignite Energy Council.

Despite this negativity, Bohrer says the coal industry in North Dakota is doing very well and has seen a season of growth.

“There’s an increase in electric demand in North Dakota in the region, and our industry has done a great job of positioning itself from a research and development side and from a market side to participate in this market,” said Bohrer.

Bohrer says the economic impact on the state is $5.7 billion per year. As far as employment in the industry, Bohrer says they have more than 3,000 direct employees and another 13,000 indirect employees.

Although this is a positive, some coal leaders are worried about the energy grid moving forward.

“We are also really concerned about our grid and its configuration and the ability to keep the lights on going forward,” said Mike Heger, general manager with BNI Coal.

Heger says the solution is coal because the energy industry in general needs to keep every spinning asset available in order to keep the grid reliable.

“It’s really a function of an increased need for transmission, an increased need to keep stable assets running and finding a way to manage all of these intermittent renewable resources,” said Heger.

Bohrer says coal has a definite place in the future.

“We need affordable electricity. Every challenge that the industry has been presented with, it has met,” said Bohrer.

Bohrer says regardless of your stance on coal, every day you are participating in the coal industry just by turning on your lights.

There are five coal-fired electrical generation plants and four lignite surface mines operating in North Dakota.

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