Peace Garden News

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded more than $38 million to the University of North Dakota’s (UND) Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC). The award will support the implementation of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies at Rainbow Energy’s Coal Creek Station. Hoeven worked to secure the funds as part of his efforts to support CCUS as a central part of Coal Creek’s future and to help ensure coal-fired electric’s role in the nation’s energy mix. To this end, the senator: 

• Worked to fund DOE’s CarbonSAFE program, which supports the development of commercial-scale CO2 storage facilities and provided today’s award to EERC.
• Worked with DOE, including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, to secure approval and funding for EERC’s project proposal.

“North Dakota is leading the way in CCUS, and this more than $38 million award for EERC and Coal Creek Station is the latest in our efforts to keep moving the development and commercially-viable implementation of this critical energy technology forward,” said Hoeven. “That’s not only positive news for the good jobs provided by Coal Creek and Falkirk Mine, but also for our state and nation, which will continue to have access to affordable and reliable coal-fired baseload power. This is about the future of U.S. energy security and the reliability of the grid, and it’s why we’ve been advancing these priorities in North Dakota for 15 years.”

The project is able to move forward due to Hoeven’s efforts for 15 years to establish North Dakota as the ideal location for CCUS in order to support the continued operation of the state’s coal industry. This includes: 

• Getting the 45Q carbon capture tax credit implemented in a way that provides a revenue stream to make coal-fired CCUS projects more commercially-viable.
• Funding critical loan guarantees from DOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), helping ensure efforts like Coal Creek and Project Tundra can get cost-effective financing.
• Securing front end investment in technology development, including bolstering the partnership between DOE and the EERC. 

Original source can be found here.