The North Dakota Industrial Commission has allocated over $2.9 million in grants to support the state’s Lignite Research, Development and Marketing Program. This funding comes from lignite severance tax and oil and gas production tax revenue, aiming to bolster North Dakota’s lignite industry through various research and educational initiatives.
In a joint statement, the Commission members emphasized their ongoing dedication to positioning North Dakota as a leader in energy research and innovation: “The projects approved today demonstrate the Commission’s continued commitment to position North Dakota as the nation’s leader in energy research and innovation.” The Commission is composed of Governor Kelly Armstrong, Attorney General Drew Wrigley, and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring.
Following recommendations from the Lignite Research Council, two key projects received approval for funding:
– The Energy and Environmental Research Center was awarded $1,462,500 for its “Development of Next-Generation Carbon Capture Technologies for Efficiency Improvement and Cost Reduction” project.
– AmeriCarbon Products LLC received $1,499,653 for its “Commercial Plant Design Optimization: Lignite To Critical Carbon Materials” project.
