Central ND News

Gov. Kelly Armstrong welcomed U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to North Dakota, emphasizing the state's significant role in national energy production and security. During the visit, Armstrong highlighted North Dakota's status as a top 10 energy-producing state and its position as the third-largest oil producer in the country.

“As a Top 10 energy-producing state and the nation’s No. 3 oil producer, North Dakota stands ready to partner with the Trump administration and private sector to achieve U.S. energy dominance and provide reliable, affordable energy for all Americans,” Armstrong said. “We appreciate Secretary Wright coming to North Dakota to hear firsthand about our efforts to expand energy production – including enhanced oil recovery using captured CO2 – and strengthen the electric grid with an all-of-the-above strategy that combines baseload generation from coal and natural gas with intermittent renewable energy.”

A roundtable discussion was held at the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center, hosted by U.S. Sen. John Hoeven. Participants included U.S. Rep. Julie Fedorchak, state Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources Director Nathan Anderson, North Dakota Pipeline Authority Executive Director Justin Kringstad, UND President Andy Armacost, state legislators, and representatives from the energy industry.

Armstrong noted that under the current administration there is renewed momentum for coal, oil, and gas industries in North Dakota due to federal recognition of their importance for national energy security.

“That mentality shift was like lifting a 5,000-pound weight off the backs of a lot of people here who have made communities in this state really, really viable for a very long time,” Armstrong said, noting the tech sector also is realizing the need for reliable, constant sources of power. “You are not powering a data center or quantum computing or artificial intelligence on wind and solar alone. The models don’t work, the metrics don’t work. So we have a chance to change the narrative … with a business economy that is about to figure out they need an energy policy based on reality and not ideology. And we are so much farther ahead than anywhere else in the country.”

Since Secretary Wright's confirmation on February 3rd, Armstrong has been active in discussing key issues affecting North Dakota's energy sector with him. In March, Armstrong voiced support for federal funding through programs such as Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program for projects like the North Plains Connector—a proposed 420-mile high voltage direct current transmission line linking Montana and North Dakota grids—and Project Tundra.