in North Dakota

Fiscal Budgets North Dakota state budget and finances Tax policy in North Dakota Finance Financial regulation in North Dakota Pensions Public pensions in North Dakota Pension health in North Dakota Civil liberties Affirmative action in North Dakota Campaign finance requirements in North Dakota Campaign finance requirements for North Dakota ballot measures Nonprofit regulation in North Dakota Education Charter schools in North Dakota Higher education in North Dakota Public education in North Dakota School choice in North Dakota Elections Ballot access Ballot access requirements for political candidates in North Dakota Ballot access requirements for political parties in North Dakota Political parties in North Dakota Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in North Dakota Redistricting in North Dakota Voting in North Dakota Energy and Environment Energy policy in North Dakota Fracking in North Dakota Oil and gas extraction on federal land in North Dakota Endangered species in North Dakota Environmental policy in North Dakota Healthcare Healthcare policy in North Dakota Medicaid spending in North Dakota Effect of the Affordable Care Act in North Dakota Immigration Immigration in North Dakota

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Fracking in the U.S.
Energy policy in the U.S.
State fracking policy
State energy policy
Glossary of energy terms

Energy policy involves governmental actions affecting the production, distribution, and consumption of energy in a state. Energy policies are enacted and enforced at the local, state, and federal levels and may change over time. These policies include legislation, regulation, taxes, incentives for energy production or use, standards for energy efficiency, and more. Stakeholders include citizens, politicians, environmental groups, industry groups, and think tanks. A variety of factors can affect the feasibility of federal and state-level energy policies, such as available natural resources, geography, and consumer needs.

This article outlines state-level oil and gas regulations, renewable energy programs, oil and gas production, energy usage, energy and electricity prices, fuel taxes, and utilities in North Dakota.

See the tabs below for further information:

1. Policy: This tab provides information about state regulations on energy production and policies related to oil and gas production, fracking, renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, and net metering.
2. Production: This tab provides information about total energy production by energy source in North Dakota.
3. Usage: This tab presents information about electricity consumption by energy source.
4. Prices and taxes: This tab presents information about average energy and electricity prices, per capita spending on energy, and fuel taxes.
5. Utilities: This tab presents information about public and private utilities, electricity markets, the types of utilities in North Dakota, and the electric reliability organizations in North Dakota.
6. Background: This tab provides information about the types of nonrenewable and renewable energy sources produced and used in the United States, an energy profile of North Dakota, a state profile of North Dakota from the Almanac of American Politics (2016), and economic indicators in the state, such as median income.

Policy[edit]

State regulations[edit]

The Oil and Gas Division of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources has regulatory authority over oil and natural gas operations in the state. State rules and regulations cover the drilling of all wells used for oil or gas exploration, the spacing of wells, permitting requirements for oil and gas operators, injection wells used to enhance oil and gas recovery or to dispose of wastewater, the cementing and plugging of wells, the underground storage of natural gas, the prevention of well blowout and leaks, well restoration, reporting requirements, and more. All North Dakota rules and regulations related to oil and gas operations can be accessed here.^[1]

Fracking[edit]

See also: Fracking in North Dakota

The Oil and Gas Division is responsible for regulating hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) in North Dakota. The division enforces regulations for the reporting and disclosure of the types of fluids used in fracking and at what volume, a description of each chemical additive used in fracking, the maximum amount of surface and injecting pressure used during the process, well safety, and other information considered necessary by the division for the regulation of fracking. More detailed information on oil and gas rules and regulations can be found in Chapter 38-05-25 of the state's oil and gas regulations.

Renewable energy policies[edit]

States have implemented funding and financial incentive programs to subsidize or otherwise increase investment in renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power. These programs include renewable portfolio standards, grants, rebate programs, tax incentives, loans, performance-based incentives, and more. The aim of the policies generally involves reducing the cost of renewable energy production for consumers, reducing regulatory compliance costs, reducing investment risks involving renewable energy, and/or increasing the adoption of renewable energy sources by individuals and businesses.^[2]

Renewable Portfolio Standard[edit]

See also: Renewable Portfolio Standard

A Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), also known as a renewable electricity standard, is a mandate intended to increase the amount of renewable energy production and use. Under these standards, a utility company can be required by a state to have a certain percentage of its electricity come from certain renewable energy resources. In addition, states may give tax credits to utility companies to fulfill these requirements.^[3][4]

As of February 2017, North Dakota was one of 30 states with a statewide Renewable Portfolio Standard. In March 2017, the North Dakota Legislature enacted a voluntary goal of producing 10 percent of all retail electricity from renewable energy sources. Eligible resources include solar, wind, biomass, hydroelectric power, geothermal, and hydrogen produced from other eligible renewable sources.^[5]

Grant programs[edit]

States, nonprofit organizations, and/or private utilities may operate grant programs for renewable energy. These programs may include state or private funding for energy installation costs, research and development, infrastructure and business development, system testing, and renewable energy feasibility studies (studies that look into the potential for renewable energy use in specific areas). Grants can be provided with or without requiring a recipient to match the grant. Additional incentives, such as lower interest loans, may be included with a grant.^[2]

As of March 2015, North Dakota was one of 26 states that did not have state-run, utility-run, or locally run grant programs for renewable energy. See the map below for grant programs by state.^[2]

Loan programs[edit]

Loan programs may be used to offer lower interest loans or other financing options to individuals and businesses to reduce the upfront costs of purchasing and installing renewable energy technologies. Loan programs may include programs that use payments from earlier borrowers to provide loans for new borrowers, programs in which building owners reduce their energy consumption to pay their upfront costs for renewable energy technologies, and programs that allow individuals with a higher debt-to-income ratio to purchase homes that use less energy, among others.^[2]

As of March 2015, North Dakota was one of 34 states with locally run, utility-run, and/or privately run loan programs for renewable energy.^[2]

A complete list of state, local, and private incentive, loan, grant, and assistance programs for renewable energy and energy efficiency in North Dakota can be found here.

See the map below for renewable energy loan programs by state.

Energy efficiency regulations[edit]

As of February 2017, North Dakota allowed but did not mandate that local governments require all new residential and commercial buildings to meet energy efficiency standards. Local governments choosing to implement these standards had to require all residential and commercial buildings to meet standards for heating, ventilating, air conditioning, water heating, and lighting found in the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code.^[6]

Net metering[edit]

Net metering is a billing system in which customers who generate their own electricity, usually using renewable sources (such as solar panels) are able to sell their excess electricity back to the electric grid, which is an interconnected network that is used to deliver electricity. This requires electricity to be able to flow both to and from a consumer.^[7][8][9]

As of October 2016, North Dakota was one of 41 states with a statewide net metering policy. All customers of investor-owned electric utilities are eligible for net metering with certain renewable energy technologies of up to 100 kilowatts (kW) in capacity. Eligible renewable sources include geothermal energy, solar energy, wind energy, biomass, hydroelectric power, and combined heat and power systems. For a complete list of net metering programs by state, click here.^[10][11][12]

Recent legislation[edit]

The following is a list of recent energy policy bills that have been introduced in or passed by the North Dakota State Legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Ballot measures[edit]

Energy policy ballot measures[edit]

See also: Energy on the ballot and List of North Dakota ballot measures

Ballotpedia has covered 1 ballot measures relating to state and local energy policy in North Dakota.

1. North Dakota Power Generating Facilities Bonds, Initiative 1 (1962)

Utility policy ballot measures[edit]

See also: Local utility tax and fees on the ballot

Ballotpedia has not covered any ballot measures relating to local utility tax and fees in North Dakota.

Production[edit]

The sections below include statistics on total energy production in North Dakota, oil and natural gas production in North Dakota, oil and gas production in North Dakota over time (2004-2014), and oil and gas production on federal land, including the amount of federal land leased in North Dakota for production.

Total energy production[edit]

The table below provides information regarding energy production in North Dakota in British thermal units (Btu). A British thermal unit is used to measure the heat contained in different fuels. The U.S. Department of Energy defines a Btu as "the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of liquid water by 1 degree Fahrenheit." Fuels are discussed in terms of Btu to compare fuels with different energy content and prices. For example, one gallon of gasoline equals 120,524 Btu.^[13]

Energy production, 2014 (in billion Btu)
State	Biomass	Coal	Crude oil	Nuclear energy	Natural gas	Renewable	Total*
North Dakota	51,578	389,673	2,301,823	0	431,532	138,331	3,312,937
Minnesota	159,583	0	0	132,904	0	334,063	626,550
Montana	0	790,673	173,304	0	64,117	133,710	1,161,804
South Dakota	144,400	0	10,428	0	15,878	223,482	394,188
U.S. average	38,759	404,181	307,301	160,980	585,731	187,132	1,684,085
*Total figures were computed by Ballotpedia. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Nonrenewable energy production[edit]

The table below provides information regarding nonrenewable energy production in North Dakota. For coal data, the phrase productive capacity refers to the maximum amount of coal that could be expected to be produced in 2014. The natural gas and crude oil production data refer to the amounts of natural gas and crude oil produced in December 2014 and April 2016, respectively.^[14][15]

Nonrenewable energy production
State	Coal, productive capacity (short tons)	Natural gas (million cubic feet)	Crude oil (thousand barrels)
Date	2014	December 2014	April 2016
North Dakota	32,828,000	30,590	31,212
Minnesota	0	0	0
Montana	51,900,000	4,963	1,971
South Dakota	0	1,282	121
U.S. average	24,874,314	43,350	4,388
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Oil and gas production (2004-2014)[edit]

Note: This section provides information about oil and gas production on private and state-owned lands. Information on oil and gas production on federal lands is accessible here.

The graph and table below provide information about crude oil production in North Dakota. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparative purposes.^[16]

Crude oil production in North Dakota and select surrounding states, in thousand barrels
State	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	Percent of total 2014 production	2014 Rank
North Dakota	31,152	35,675	39,943	45,122	62,780	79,728	113,064	153,014	243,831	313,905	396,749	12.47%	2
Montana	24,718	32,787	36,294	34,907	31,596	27,835	25,333	24,156	26,495	29,289	29,346	0.92%	12
South Dakota	1,357	1,469	1,394	1,664	1,694	1,658	1,606	1,615	1,754	1,847	1,791	0.06%	25
Wyoming	51,940	51,768	52,973	54,115	53,044	51,532	53,116	54,649	57,837	63,295	76,072	2.39%	8
United States	1,991,394	1,891,227	1,857,044	1,853,166	1,830,002	1,952,670	2,000,861	2,060,398	2,377,806	2,722,171	3,180,813	--	--
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Crude Oil Production" Note: The data above are field production data.

The graph and table below provide information about natural gas production in North Dakota. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparative purposes.^[17]

Natural gas production in North Dakota and select surrounding states, in million cubic feet (MMCF)
State	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	Percent of total 2013 production	2013 rank
North Dakota	57,886	57,333	55,904	62,786	70,797	87,188	92,489	113,867	157,025	258,568	345,787	1.15%	13
Montana	86,431	97,838	108,555	114,037	120,575	119,399	105,251	93,266	79,506	66,954	63,242	0.21%	21
South Dakota	11,605	11,768	11,349	10,616	11,880	12,007	12,927	12,540	12,449	15,085	16,205	0.05%	24
Wyoming	1,836,115	1,929,040	2,003,826	2,111,766	2,257,884	2,488,267	2,536,336	2,514,657	2,375,301	2,225,622	2,047,757	6.82%	6
United States	24,118,978	23,969,678	23,456,822	23,535,018	24,663,656	25,636,257	26,056,893	26,816,085	28,479,026	29,542,313	30,005,254	--	--
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production" The data presented above are gross withdrawals in million cubic feet (MMCF). Production data for 2014 were estimated for some, but not all, states; "--" indicates data were not available.

Oil and gas production on federal land[edit]

See also: Oil and natural gas extraction on federal land

The federal government leases federally managed land to private individuals and companies for energy development, including crude oil and natural gas drilling, solar energy development, and geothermal energy development. Approximately 166 million acres of federal land were available to be leased for energy development as of December 2014. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for regulating oil and gas drilling on federal lands in the United States.^[18][19]

The table below provides information about oil and natural gas production on federal lands in North Dakota in 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.^[20][21]

Oil and natural gas production on federal land, 2014
State	Oil production (in thousands of barrels)	Natural gas production (in million cubic feet)
North Dakota	16,127	12,331
Minnesota	0	0
Montana	2,576	12,163
South Dakota	201	113
U.S. average	2,976.06	49,996.92
Source: Office of Natural Resource Revenue, "Statistical Information"

Land leased[edit]

Private oil and natural gas companies apply for leases from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to develop energy resources on federal lands. After a lease is approved, the company must submit information to the BLM about how it will conduct its drilling and production operations. The BLM also inspects a company’s operations during production.^[22]

The table below provides information about oil and gas producing leases and acres on federal lands in North Dakota from 2013 to 2015. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Oil and gas producing leases and acres on federal land by state, 2013-2015
State	FY 2015		FY 2014		FY 2013
	Producing leases	Producing acres	Producing leases	Producing acres	Producing leases	Producing acres
North Dakota	1,276	587,855	1,193	570,645	1,127	556,746
Minnesota	0	0	0	0	0	0
Montana	1,446	763,286	1,446	766,544	1,440	765,312
South Dakota	82	48,482	79	44,589	79	44,589
U.S. average	485	257,505	483	258,996	480	262,870
Source: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Oil and Gas Statistics"

Energy usage[edit]

The section below includes statistics on electricity consumption in the state by energy type (in 2014).

Consumption[edit]

The table below provides information about energy consumption by source in North Dakota in 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.^[14]

Energy consumption in North Dakota, 2014 (in billion Btu)
State	Coal	Crude oil and petroleum products	Natural gas	Nuclear energy	Solar	Wind	Geothermal	Hydropower	Wood and wood waste	Biomass
North Dakota	399,195	242,403	90,629	0	10	58,985	978	24,073	2,707	26,745
Minnesota	313,073	607,762	489,901	132,904	670	92,162	1,075	5,216	75,357	162,992
Montana	175,357	172,831	79,260	0	64	18,771	337	109,201	5,337	8,888
South Dakota	33,062	117,723	83,464	0	10	22,218	1,868	52,288	2,699	62,730
U.S. average	359,931	716,746	544,353	172,585	20,739	531,323	16,555	61,397	65,345	101,581
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Prices and taxes[edit]

The sections below include information on energy prices and spending in North Dakota, fuel taxes and state taxes in North Dakota and in neighboring states, and an overview of the federal tax on gasoline.

Energy prices[edit]

The price of electricity is affected by supply and demand. The supply of electricity is affected by fuel prices, environmental and energy regulations, power plant capacity, weather, and other factors. Demand for electricity also affects the price. Because electricity cannot be stored for long periods of time, it must be produced and used when it is needed. As demand for electricity increases, the price also generally increases.^[23][24]

The table below provides information about energy prices in North Dakota as of April 2016. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.^[14]

Energy prices in North Dakota
State	Natural gas Dollars per thousand cubic foot	Electricity Cents per kilowatthour
Date	April 2016	April 2016
North Dakota	$6.50	8.7
Minnesota	$7.59	9.8
Montana	$6.76	8.7
South Dakota	$6.85	9.6
U.S. average	$11.20	10.41
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Electricity prices can vary depending on the type of consumer; consumer categories include residential, commercial, industrial, and in some cases, transportation. The rate-making process is both political and economic. The table below presents information about electricity prices by consumer type in North Dakota in April 2016. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Electricity prices in North Dakota by sector (in cents per kilowatthour)
State	Commercial	Industrial	Residential	Transportation	Average (all sectors)
Date	April 2016	April 2016	April 2016	April 2016	April 2016
North Dakota	9.3	7.1	10.5	0.0	9.0
Minnesota	9.8	7.1	12.6	9.5	9.7
Montana	10.3	4.5	11.0	0.0	8.6
South Dakota	9.3	7.4	11.4	0.0	9.4
U.S. average	10.48	7.45	13.05	10.47	10.36
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Energy spending[edit]

The table below provides information about energy spending in North Dakota as of 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Energy spending in North Dakota, 2014 (in millions of dollar except per capita spending)
State	Petroleum	Coal	Natural gas	Nuclear	Per capita spending
North Dakota	$5,945	$866	$363	$0	$11,094
Minnesota	$15,168	$643	$3,647	$119	$4,638
Montana	$3,850	$322	$528	$0	$5,402
South Dakota	$3,156	$72	$549	$0	$5,648
U.S. average	$17,267	$1,322	$3,786	$574	$5,304
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Fuel taxes[edit]

Revenue collected by federal, state, and local governments from fuel taxes is usually used to fund transportation infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Some states may charge an excise tax based on how much gas or diesel is purchased. Some states may charge retail tax based on the average price of gas over a certain period. Additionally, some states may charge an environmental tax to be used for environmental projects. The Tax Foundation, which created the map to the right, used data from the American Petroleum Institute, which converted each state's different tax structure into cents per gallon to compare each state's gas taxes. In 2016, gas taxes accounted for 23 percent of the price of gasoline. Crude oil accounted for 40 percent of the price of gasoline, refining accounted for 24 percent of the price, and distribution and marketing accounted for 13 percent of the remainder.^[25][26]

The table below provides information about state fuel taxes by type (excluding the federal gas taxes) in North Dakota as of January 2016. As of January 2016, North Dakota levied a 23 cent state gasoline tax and a 23 cent state diesel tax. North Dakota ranked 34th highest in total gasoline taxes (federal and state) and 36th highest in total diesel fuel taxes as of January 2016.^[27][28]

State motor fuel taxes in cents per gallon, January 2016
State	State gasoline tax	Total gasoline tax	Rank	State diesel tax	Total diesel tax	Rank
North Dakota	23.0	41.4	34	23.0	47.4	36
Minnesota	28.6	47.0	25	28.6	53.0	23
Montana	27.8	46.2	27	28.5	52.9	25
South Dakota	30.0	48.4	22	30.0	54.4	21
U.S. average	30.29	48.69	N/A	30.01	54.41	N/A
Source: American Petroleum Institute, "Motor Fuel Taxes"

Federal tax[edit]

The first federal tax on gasoline was proposed by Secretary of the Treasury Ogden L. Mills under President Herbert Hoover (R) as a revenue generating measure to balance the budget during the Great Depression. A 1-cent tax per gallon of imported gasoline and fuel oil was passed as part of the Revenue Act of 1932 and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D). The 1-cent tax continued until 1951 when the tax was increased to 2 cents in part to raise revenue during the Korean War. In 1956, the tax was raised to 3 cents to fund the Interstate Highway System. During this time, the Highway Trust Fund was created as a means to fund highway construction. Since 1956, there have been increases to the tax. As of April 2016, the gas tax was last raised by President Bill Clinton (D) in 1993 to 18.4 cents per gallon.^[29]

Utilities[edit]

The sections below include general information on utilities, an overview of utilities and electricity markets, information on the types of utilities in North Dakota, an overview of electricity reliability organizations (EROs), and the EROs that oversee electricity in North Dakota.

Background[edit]

Utilities are firms that own and/or operate facilities to generate, transmit, and/or distribute electricity, gas, and/or water to the public. Electric utilities are commercial entities that own and operate facilities to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity to the public and/or the industrial sector. State and local regulators oversee transmission and distribution charges. Local utilities read electric meters and bill individuals or businesses, generally on a monthly basis.^[30][31]

Utilities are defined differently in each state and in federal legislation. Two general types of utilities are private and public utilities. Private utilities, commonly known as investor-owned utilities, provide stocks to investors and sell bonds. These utilities are regulated by state regulatory agencies. State agencies are also responsible for setting retail rates charged by investor-owned utilities, overseeing utility infrastructure, and ensuring that investor-owned utilities respond to customer service demands. Public utilities include government or municipally owned utilities. Another type of utility is an electric cooperative. Cooperatives are nonprofit businesses voluntarily owned and managed by the individuals and businesses that use their services. They are commonly used in rural areas that do not have access to a larger state or region-wide electric grid.^[31]

Electricity markets[edit]

Electricity markets in each state are defined as regulated or deregulated. A regulated market includes utilities that own and manage the power plants that generate the electricity, the electricity transmission lines, and the distribution equipment (such as wires and electric poles). In addition, the utilities rates are approved and regulated by local and state agencies. A deregulated market requires utilities to divest ownership in the generation and transmission of electricity. In this market, utilities oversee the interconnection from a meter at a household or business to the power grid and is responsible for billing ratepayers.^[32][33]

Depending on the state and/or area, public utilities may provide most or all energy services to homes and businesses, or a state may allow other private electricity providers to transmit and distribute electricity in addition to other utilities. For example, one type of private provider is a retail energy provider, which sells electricity in areas with retail competition. The provider purchases wholesale electricity and the delivery services (such as transmission lines) and can price electricity to particular consumers.^[32][33]

As of February 2017, North Dakota was one of 40 states with a regulated electricity market. The North Dakota Public Utilities Division is responsible for regulating the rates, terms, and conditions of retail electric service from all investor-owned utilities in the state. The division also enforces state safety requirements related to electricity. As of February 2017, the state's three investor-owned utilities were Montana-Dakota Utilities, Northern States Power Company, and Otter Tail Corporation.^[34]

Electric reliability organizations[edit]

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to designate an electric reliability organization (ERO) for the United States. An ERO oversees the reliability of a nation or continent's electric grid. In 2006, FERC granted authority to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to develop and enforce grid reliability standards for the United States. NERC, a self-regulated nonprofit corporation, is authorized to enforce grid reliability standards for all users, owners, and operators of the U.S. electrical system.^[35]

NERC works with eight regional reliability organizations to oversee the U.S. electrical system. These organizations, known as regional entities, are composed of officials from investor-owned utilities, federal power agencies, electric cooperatives, and state and municipal utilities. Regional entities enforce NERC and regional reliability standards. Further, they forecast electricity demand and coordinate operations with other regional entities.^[36]

North Dakota EROs[edit]

As of February 2017, the Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO) was the NERC-affiliated corporation that oversees electricity in North Dakota. The MRO conducts studies and assessments of the electricity grid, conducts long-term planning, and develops regional standards for electricity reliability.^[37]

Background[edit]

The sections below include an overview of the types of renewable and nonrenewable energy produced and consumed in the United States, an energy profile of North Dakota (from the U.S. Energy Information Administration), a general profile of North Dakota (from the 2016 edition of the Almanac of American Politics), and various economic indicators in North Dakota.

Background on energy resources[edit]

Nonrenewable energy sources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas (sometimes known as fossil fuels), and renewable sources, such as hydropower, wind, biofuels, and solar energy, are produced in each state, though at different levels depending on a state's geography, energy consumption, and the raw materials available in a particular state. For example, several states do not have coal, oil, and/or natural gas resources. States that lack these resources import these fuels.^[38]

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, oil, coal, and natural gas comprise the majority of the resources used to generate power in the United States. In 2014, the top five energy-producing states were the top five fossil fuel-producing states—Texas, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and West Virginia. These states' fossil fuel production accounted for approximately 42 percent of U.S. energy production in 2014. States with fewer coal, oil, and natural gas resources generally consume less energy. In 2014, the bottom five energy-producing states—Rhode Island, Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Hampshire—produced 0.2 percent of U.S. energy and consumed approximately 2 percent of total U.S. energy.^[38]

The production of biofuels (liquid fuels created from plant or plant-derived materials) is generally concentrated in the Midwest—states such as Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota) given the region's agricultural production of crops such as corn, which is used to make ethanol, a biofuel that can be blended with gasoline and used as a transportation fuel.^[38]

Other renewable sources are used to generate power in the states include hydroelectric power, which accounted for about half of all renewable energy production in the United States in 2014.^[38]

North Dakota energy profile[edit]

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), North Dakota is home to crude oil, natural gas, and shale gas reserves. Dunn, McKenzie, Mountrail, and Williams counties were home to 80 percent of the state's wells in 2012. ^[14]

As of 2015, North Dakota was second to Texas in crude oil reserves and crude oil production. By 2015, crude oil production in North Dakota reached approximately 3.4 billion barrels. In addition, North Dakota was among the top 10 coal-producing states in terms of tonnage as of 2015. Meanwhile, North Dakota accounted for approximately 2 percent of total natural gas reserves and total gas production in the United States as of 2015.^[14]

Approximately 70 percent of North Dakota's electricity as of 2015 was supplied by coal-fired power plants; seven of the state's 10 largest power plants in 2015 used coal to generate electricity. The remainder of the state's electricity came from wind energy and hydroelectric power. Because North Dakota generated more electricity than it consumed as of 2015, approximately half of the state's electricity supply was transferred to the interstate electric grids.^[14]

State profile[edit]

Demographic data for North Dakota
	North Dakota	U.S.
Total population:	756,835	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	69,001	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	88.7%	73.6%
Black/African American:	1.6%	12.6%
Asian:	1.2%	5.1%
Native American:	5.3%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.2%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	2.9%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	91.7%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	27.7%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$57,181	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	12.2%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in North Dakota. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern[edit]

See also: Presidential voting trends in North Dakota

North Dakota voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, four are located in North Dakota, accounting for 1.94 percent of the total pivot counties.^[39]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. North Dakota had three Retained Pivot Counties, 1.66 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.

More North Dakota coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in North Dakota
• United States congressional delegations from North Dakota
• Public policy in North Dakota
• Influencers in North Dakota
• North Dakota fact checks
• More...

Economic indicators[edit]

See also: Economic indicators by state

Broadly defined, a healthy economy is typically one that has a "stable and strong rate of economic growth" (gross state product, in this case) and low unemployment, among many other factors. The economic health of a state can significantly affect its healthcare costs, insurance coverage, access to care, and citizens' physical and mental health. For instance, during economic downturns, employers may reduce insurance coverage for employees, while those who are laid off may lose coverage altogether. Individuals also tend to spend less on non-urgent care or postpone visits to the doctor when times are hard. These changes in turn may affect the decisions made by policymakers as they react to shifts in the industry. Additionally, a person's socioeconomic status has profound effects on their access to care and the quality of care received.^[40][41][42]

In September 2014, North Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate in the country at 2.8 percent. Its median annual household income was $55,583, and most North Dakota residents earned incomes at least 400 percent of the federal poverty level.^{[43][44][45][46]}

Note: Gross state product (GSP) on its own is not necessarily an indicator of economic health; GSP may also be influenced by state population size. Many factors must be looked at together to assess state economic health.

Various economic indicators by state
State	Distribution of population by FPL* (2013)				Median annual income (2011-2013)	Unemployment rate		Total GSP (2013)†
	Under 100%	100-199%	200-399%	400%+		Sept. 2013	Sept. 2014
North Dakota	10%	17%	33%	40%	$55,583	2.8%	2.8%	$56,329
Montana	15%	19%	35%	31%	$43,924	5.6%	4.6%	$44,040
South Dakota	11%	17%	35%	37%	$50,488	3.7%	3.4%	$46,732
Wyoming	12%	18%	31%	39%	$56,569	4.6%	4.7%	$45,432
United States	15%	19%	30%	36%	$52,047	7.2%	5.9%	$16,701,415
* Federal Poverty Level. "The U.S. Census Bureau's poverty threshold for a family with two adults and one child was $18,751 in 2013. This is the official measurement of poverty used by the Federal Government." † Median annual household income, 2011-2013. ‡ In millions of current dollars. "Gross State Product is a measurement of a state's output; it is the sum of value added from all industries in the state." Source: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, "State Health Facts"

See also[edit]

• Energy policy in the U.S.
• Fracking in North Dakota
• Net metering
• Renewable Portfolio Standard
• Environmental policy in North Dakota

Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms North Dakota energy policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Footnotes[edit]

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