Energy
To address the energy crisis facing the country, Senator Dorgan believes we need a balanced and diverse approach toward our energy policy. As chair of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee and a senior member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Dorgan has called for an energy "moon shot" that includes renewable energy, energy efficiency technologies, as well as using our domestic natural resources like oil, natural gas, and coal. Dorgan believes that investments in carbon capture and storage technologies will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from coal fired power plants and other fossil energy sources. In order for our nation to be energy secure, we need to rely on a diverse set of domestic resources. Senator Dorgan's comprehensive energy plan includes:
Investing in new technologies for cleaner domestic energy:
Coal is our most abundant, most secure, and lowest cost American resource. Our national coal resource is estimated to have over 200 years of energy. But we must invest in technologies to capture and store the carbon dioxide produced from burning coal and other fossil energy sources. Senator Dorgan is a leader in supporting carbon capture and storage research, and has helped enact legislation to provide a set of policies and incentives for companies who are developing and commercializing carbon capture and storage technologies.
Investing in Homegrown Renewables:
Senator Dorgan believes we need to establish an aggressive, 10-year renewable energy and energy conservation plan designed to greatly reduce our dependence on foreign oil. He has worked to make sure that North Dakota is a leader in that effort through the cutting edge research and development of technologies in the Red River Valley Research Corridor and Great Plains Energy Corridor.
Increasing Our Long-Term Domestic Supply of Oil:
Senator Dorgan supports more oil production. Because it takes about 10 years from when new land is made available for drilling to when oil starts flowing, Dorgan believes we should focus on expanding access to areas where we have the largest oil deposits and where infrastructure already exists to get that oil to the refineries. Dorgan believes we must continue to pursue energy development in the Bakken Shale region in western North Dakota, where there is an estimated 4.3 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil, and that we should also be drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
Senator Dorgan knows that North Dakota is the perfect example of how we can develop all sources of new energy. North Dakota produces an abundance of oil and coal, and we also are leading the way with the development of biofuels, wind power and other renewable energy. Our state is home to cutting-edge energy research and production in places like the Red River Valley Research Corridor and the Energy Corridor. These initiatives are turning North Dakota into a front-line laboratory for the new energy technologies our country needs, but there is no time to lose..
- Dorgan's Electric Vehicle Legislation Approved by Senate Energy Committee
- Dorgan: North Dakota Set to be Major Exporter of Renewable Energy, Lessening the Nation's Dependence on Foreign Energy
- Dorgan Remains Committed to Boost North Dakota Oil Production
- Dorgan: Fort Berthold "One-Stop Shop" Expanding Oil and Gas Exploration in Bakken
- Dorgan Says Energy Industry is a Key Ingredient to Minot's Economic Growth
- Senator Dorgan's Clean Coal and CCS Technology Development Pathways Initiative
