North Dakota
Science and Technology Plan
table of Contents
targeted industries: energy and natural resources
North Dakota's energy sector is a cornerstone of its economy, with the state being a leading producer of both conventional and renewable energy resources. The primary conventional energy resource in North Dakota is oil, particularly from the Bakken Formation, one of the largest oil fields in the United States. The development of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) technology has enabled the extraction of oil and natural gas from shale formations, leading to a significant increase in production and economic activity in the region.
North Dakota is the #3 oil-producing state in the nation, transporting nearly 2.3M barrels of crude daily. The state is also home to 33 natural gas production facilities and is ranked 9th in the nation for installed wind capacity (4,250MW). In addition, the state has substantial energy production through other fossil fuel and renewable resources including natural gas, coal, synfuels, biodiesel, solar, hydro power and ethanol.
In North Dakota, energy production is six times greater than consumption, the sectors sustain over 75,000 jobs, and its annual economic impact exceeds $3 billion.
One of the most prominent emerging sectors is renewable energy and North Dakota is harnessing its renewable energy potential, particularly wind energy. The state's vast open spaces and consistent wind patterns make it an ideal location for wind farm development. North Dakota ranks among the top states in the nation for wind energy production, with wind turbines dotting the landscape across rural areas. Wind energy projects contribute to energy diversity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As demand for clean energy sources continues to rise, North Dakota stands to benefit from investments in wind power generation, creating jobs and driving economic growth while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
North Dakota is rich in natural resources with abundant sources of energy available including coal, oil, wind and solar energy. These complementary and abundant energy sources provide reliable and redundant energy for North Dakota businesses and residents and allow us to export to power the surrounding states.
Energy facts about North Dakota
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3rd largest in national oil production
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5th lowest cost of electricity in the United States
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41% of energy generation from renewable sources
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2nd largest known lignite deposit in the world
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Almost 2.3 million barrels of Williston Basin crude oil export capacity per day
Biofuel production holds a unique position as it is part of the Energy industry but is also considered part of the value-added agricultural network.
Research and Educational opportunities
This plan recognizes and responds to the need for further research addressing solutions to energy challenges ranging from improved production/use of fossil fuels, renewable energy generation, hydrogen and emerging energy sources, energy storage, and carbon capture and sequestration to rare earth elements, advanced carbon materials, grid resiliency, and optimal energy use. UND has extensive expertise through the Energy & Environmental Research Center, and national leader in energy research. The College of Engineering and Mines at UND is also home to the Institute for Energy Studies which “focuses on the integration of energy education, research and outreach” (https://engineering.und.edu/research/ies/index.html). The EERC is home to the State Energy Research Center (SERC), the DOE Heartland Hydrogen Hub, and is part of the DOE NETL-led Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) initiative. Commercialization of technologies from these projects will create new jobs, spur entrepreneurial activity, and address effects of climate change. The Institute for Energy Studies is working on ground breaking research in rare earth element extraction from iron ore resources as well as battery technologies. In addition, UND hosts the Renewable Hydrogen H2 Power laboratory which is a test facility to conduct research on renewable hydrogen production and its energy conversion. The test facility is equipped with Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells, state of the art PEM electrolyzer, and power electronics.
Additional Areas of Research Supporting Energy
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Renewable energy – wind, solar, biomass, biofuels, lignite coal, geothermal, and alternative fuels such as hydrogen-based fuels and syngas
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Solar energy and solar cells
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Power electronics system
Emerging AND New Research Areas for Energy
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Biofuels and biomaterials
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Enhanced oil recovery
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Reduced carbon or carbon-free energy
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Emission reduction technology
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Increased energy production methodologies
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Solar power economics
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Advanced battery and fuel cell technologies and materials
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Carbon capture/sequestration
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Clean energy research
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Value-added energy processing for energy by-products
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Autonomous applications in energy
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Enhance the grid to meet future safe and reliable electrical needs
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Recovery and refinement of rare earth elements and critical minerals
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Carbon capture and utilization technology