I'm posting it because of the information about the North Dakota coal industry which I know little about. I can check it out on Wikipedia but that won't give me any idea of what's really going on now, or the "buzz" as they say.
The other two parts of the article are on South Dakota ethanol industry, known to some as the Daschle Debacle; and the Minnesota wind-generated electricity industry, the killer of birds.
So, a little bit of something for everyone.
Here are some data points for the ND coal industry. Well, actually not much. The two first paragraphs, instead:
North Dakota’s four lignite mines produce about 30 million tons of coal every year. About 80 percent is used to generate electricity and the other 20 percent is used to make synthetic natural gas and other valuable byproducts such as fertilizer. The electricity serves about two million customers in North Dakota and surrounding states. More than 50 percent of the electricity generated in North Dakota is used in Minnesota.
The state of North Dakota is one of 11 "clean air" states, which means it meets all of the federal government's clean air standards. The state receives more than $90 million in tax revenues every year from the lignite industry, and the mines and plants represent some of the best paying jobs in the state with salaries averaging about $80,000.
$80,000 salaries, average, in North Dakota! Wow. I had no idea. I wonder how much a windmill job pays?
