In 2010, 82 percent of North Dakota's net electricity generation came from North Dakota’s six coal-fired power plants, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
In 2011, 15 percent of the state’s power came from wind, making North Dakota the third highest state in the nation for wind generation, and 6 percent came from hydroelectric power.
According to 2012 estimates, about 130.5 trillion BTUs (British thermal units) were generated by natural gas in the state.The focus of the story was on retirements in the North Dakota coal industry now occurring:
Those power plants that the state relies on for most of its energy started operating between 1954 and 1981. The plants that came online in the ’70s are seeing the most turnover from retirements, said Curt Pearson, media and community relations manager for Basin.
A lucrative pension plan and 30 years on the job have Basin Electric Power Cooperative employees retiring en masse.
Facing a more competitive hiring environment, the cooperative is trying to replace the 259 employees it has lost to retirement in the last two years,including 179 who left in 2013.Another North Dakota opportunity for employment.
By the way, again, something I've said before. When folks from Texas, Louisiana, Florida, California, and Arkansas come up to North Dakota to find work, you know how bad the US economy -- in terms of jobs -- is.
No one -- and everyone in North Dakota knows this -- no one comes from out-of-state to North Dakota voluntarily or easily to find a job. Most newcomers arrive here because the Air Force sent them (Minot AFB, Grand Forks AFB) or this was about the only state that had an unlimited opportunity to find work.
I'm always impressed to read that North Dakota is #3 in the nation when it comes to wind-generated electricity production.
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