Energizing North Dakota
Mark Green
Posted September 13, 2016
The U.S. energy renaissance is on full display in North Dakota. Energy from the sprawling Williston Basin, which includes the Bakken shale – harnessed with modern hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling – has North Dakota production numbers soaring:
The above is what oil production growth of more than 1200 percent looks like – all thanks to safe fracking. In 2000, North Dakota ranked ninth in the country in crude production, in 2010 it ranked fourth. Last year, North Dakota produced 429 million barrels, an all-time high, ranking it second behind Texas.
Click on the thumbnail to view a two-page energy infographic for the Peace Garden State.
North Dakota’s dramatic production increase is a big reason the United States leads the world in oil and natural gas output. As North Dakota energy production has expanded, so has U.S. output – helping the economy, benefiting individual households and making the country more energy secure. North Dakota is a microcosm of that larger energy picture.
It’s critically important that pro-development policies are followed to support and increase America’s energy renaissance. That means access to resources, fostering an environment for private investment in energy development – including needed energy infrastructure including pipelines – and reasonable regulatory structures that allow safe and responsible projects to go forward.
Check the chart on Page 2 of the North Dakota infographic for a comparison of the benefits of pro-development policies and the potential negative impacts of policies characterized by regulatory constraints.
Energy is essential for virtually every aspect of our daily lives. It powers national, state and local economies, gets us to work and goes into products we rely on for health and comfort. Safe, responsible energy development here at home is linked to national security as well as Americans’ individual prosperity and liberty – in North Dakota and all the 50 states of energy.
About The Author
Mark Green joined API after a career in newspaper journalism, including 16 years as national editorial writer for The Oklahoman in the paper’s Washington bureau. Previously, Mark was a reporter, copy editor and sports editor at an assortment of newspapers. He earned his journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma and master’s in journalism and public affairs from American University. He and his wife Pamela have two grown children and six grandchildren.