I Apologize: This Is A Bit Catty

But there are two ways of looking at this story, reported by Prairie Business:

As the oil and gas industry continues to drive billions of dollars of activity in North Dakota, its southerly neighbor is looking for ways it too can benefit from the economic boom. In May, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development hired Black Hills Business Strategy to conduct a 14-month-long study to evaluate opportunities for the state to capture a bigger piece of the energy pie. 

There are two ways to look at this story:

• either, South Dakota is really, really late to this game, or
• this should confirm how long folks think the Bakken is going to last

But, now after six years of Bakken boom in North Dakota, the state lets a contract for a 14-month-long study, and then, of course, 12 months to evaluate the study, and then another 12 months for the legislature to act. Really, really bizarre.

McKenzie Consulting would have required the study to be completed in six weeks.