With the Clean Power Plan stayed – and the matter still in the courts – states in our region are taking different approaches on whether they will continue working on state implementation plans.
Frank Kohlasch is the air assessment section manager for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. He told the Lignite Energy Council annual meeting in Bismarck – Minnesota is going ahead with its planning process.
"We don't feel that continuing to work on the Clean Power Plan, and clean energy policies in Minnesota, requires a federal mandate," Kohlasch said. "And we think the work that we're doing is still very valuable for the state, because we have other state policies that are driving some of our efforts in clean energy -- not just the Clean Power Plan."
Minnesota has its Next Generation act, and mandates in place for its utilities to implement renewable energy.
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality administrator Nancy Vehr says her state’s Legislature has prohibited money from being used for any Clean Power Plan efforts. She says already, her state has seen layoffs at coal mines because of concerns about the plan.
"Those are devastating effects to Wyoming communities," Vehr said.
Wyoming is one of the states challenging the plan in court. North Dakota is another. But the chief of the environmental health section of the North Dakota Health Department – Dave Glatt – says the state continues to work on plans. And he says he believes it will take a regional solution, rather than just a state-by-state response.
"We can't just say, 'We're going to do it the North Dakota way, and the hell with everybody else,'" Glatt said. "That's not where we're at. We need to acknowledge that what Minnesota does impacts us, and what we do impacts Minnesota."
Glatt says North Dakota will be looking at its own power generation strategy – whether or not the Clean Power Plan survives challenges in court.
"I think it's a mistake if we sit back and do nothing," Glatt said. "I do think we're going to get steamrolled if we do nothing."
Glatt says that plan will look at what's right for North Dakota.
"What are the resources we can take advantage of?" Glatt said. "What are the technologies we can take advantage of as we move forward?"
Glatt says the strategy would look at the state’s complete energy generation portfolio.
"How much energy do you generate?" Glatt said. "How much is coal?How much is wind? How much is hyrdo? How much is gas?"
Glatt says the plan will also assess how much power is used in North Dakota, and how much is exported. He says the next step will be to look at the projected useful life of the existing power generation facilities – and to look at the technology available for reducing CO2 emissions.