Incredibly Timely Story: Wiring the Oil Patch

Link here. (Regional links break early and break often.)

Earlier today a reader wrote in explaining why costs for Spearfish wells may have increased in Bottineau County. The writer said part of the increased costs had to do with cost of stringing electrical transmission lines to the remote sites. See comments at this site.

Now, tonight I see the Bismarck Tribune has a story just on this issue.

Incredible timing. Incredible story.

Western North Dakota’s economic growth is built on oil and gas, but the oil boom also runs on electricity.

While oil and gas companies are making big investments in the state’s oil patch, the region’s rural electric cooperatives have had to spend more and more on power lines and substations to keep up with the surging demand.

“Last year alone, we built more miles of line than we built from 2000 to 2007,” said Jason Brothen, general manager of the Burke-Divide Electric Cooperative, based in Columbus and serving the northwest corner of the state. “There’s just miles and miles being put up.”

I am very appreciative  of the information folks send me. It is very useful to me and I assume to everyone else.