Legislative champions of the lignite industry recognized

The Lignite Energy Council recently recognized more than 100 North Dakota legislators as Lignite Luminaries and Lignite Champions for their work during the 2021 North Dakota legislative session.

Lignite Energy Council President and CEO Jason Bohrer called the 2021 legislative session, “the most important one in the history of the Lignite Energy Council.” Bohrer went on to say, “The legislative support demonstrated by these legislators is important to the longevity of this important industry that provides clean, reliable and affordable electricity to more than 2 million people in the Upper Midwest.”

Priority legislation included five key bills for the 2021 legislative session and either created or testified in support of a total of 18 pieces of legislation that it felt were necessary to ensure the vitality of the coal industry in North Dakota. 

Five legislators were recognized as Lignite Luminaries for their leadership in sponsoring two or more of the five priority bills to support the coal industry. 

 

  • Senator Jessica Bell (R-33) Beulah
  • Senator Rich Wardner (R37) Dickinson
  • Representative Jeff Delzer (R-8) Underwood
  • Representative Chet Pollert (R-29) Carrington
  • Representative Craig Headland (R-29) Montpelier

An additional 107 lawmakers voted in favor of all of the priority bills and were recognized as Lignite Champions. A full list of those legislators can be found here.

All 112 legislators received a letter of thanks and the Lignite Champion lapel pin as a token of their support. Additionally, the Lignite Luminaries will be recognized individually and in-person with a coal lightbulb award at a later date.

The five priority bills were:

  • SB 2287 – provides the legislative authority for the insurance commissioner to study the availability, cost and risk associated with insurance coverage in the lignite coal industry and to implement any necessary recommendations by June 1, 2022
  • SB 2152 – conforms the century code to comply with federal law regarding 45Q tax policy.
  • HB 1412 – Exempts coal plants from the state’s coal conversion facility tax for the next five years. The bill is expected to save the industry over $20 million per year, freeing up funds to invest in innovative projects such as carbon capture and sequestration that will curb emissions and improve the industry’s long-term viability.
  • SB 2206 – Provides the opportunity for public utilities to recover research and development costs incurred to develop lignite more efficiently from carbon capture and sequestration utilization. The legislation also includes the ability to recover costs in rates from a dispatchable on-demand generating unit, plant or facility for power purchase agreements to help protect grid reliability.
  • HB 1452 – creates the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority to help position North Dakota as a leader in reducing environmental impacts through a comprehensive research and development authority. The legislation provides $25 million from state’s general fund to the authority to fund qualified projects.

The Lignite Energy Council was founded in 1974 and works on behalf of more than 200 members organizations, 13,000 coal-related jobs and an industry that generates approximately $5.4 billion in gross business volume within the state.