The North Dakota Industrial Commission has approved over $2.8 million in grants for the Lignite Research, Development and Marketing Program. The funding comes from lignite severance tax and oil and gas production tax revenue, aimed at supporting the growth of North Dakota’s lignite industry through research and education.
In a joint statement, Governor Kelly Armstrong, Attorney General Drew Wrigley, and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring emphasized the state’s commitment to energy innovation. They said, “The projects approved today demonstrate the Commission’s continued commitment to position North Dakota as the nation’s leader in energy-related innovation. We are grateful for the work of the project sponsors and look forward to the positive impact these projects will have on advancing the state’s energy goals.”
The grant includes $1.5 million allocated to the Energy & Environmental Research Center in Grand Forks for Phase II of their Carbon Ore, Rare Earth and Critical Minerals (CORE_CM) Initiative. Additionally, $1,325,000 is awarded to the Lignite Energy Council for The Regulatory & Litigation Support Project for North Dakota’s lignite industry.
