North Dakota Energy Projects Receive Funding Under Appropriations Bill

The office of North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad announced the recipients of $185 million in economic development funds allocated as part of the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill. The state's energy projects receiving funding include

• NDSU Center for Nanoscale Energy -- $4.76 million. This funding will be used by North Dakota State University (NDSU) to develop new nanomaterials that will help improve energy efficiency and reduce our country’s reliance on foreign sources of energy.
• Renewable Energy and Products from North Dakota Biomass -- $939,000
  This funding will be used for a project at NDSU to help identify perennial plant species grown in North Dakota for new biomass opportunities and develop strategies and policies aimed at growing biorenewable industries in the Northern Great Plains and enhancing U.S. agricultural competitiveness.
• EERC Fossil Energy Research and Development -- $6.3 million
  This funding will be used by the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota (UND) to provide advanced clean coal technology and fossil fuel research.
• National Center for Hydrogen Technology at EERC -- $2.85 million
  This funding will allow the EERC to continue its hydrogen research at the National Center for Hydrogen Technology. Research will expand new technologies to convert coal and other energy sources to hydrogen and develop new innovative methods of storing and transporting hydrogen.
• Center for Biomass Utilization at the EERC -- $2 million
  This funding will be used for research at the EERC to integrate biomass with fossil fuels in conventional power systems. The research will help develop production of ethanol from cellulosic biomass, advanced methods for biodiesel production and utilization of low-value biodiesel process by-products such as glycerol.
• Bismarck State College Center of Excellence Laboratories -- $2.2 million
  This funding will be used to construct an Applied Research Center on the fourth floor of the National Energy Center of Excellence to provide the capacity to conduct applied research activities initiated by the Great Plains Energy Corridor. The completion of this project will result in an Applied Research Center that will include office space, an all-inclusive meeting facility, and a technical data center clearinghouse
• Great Plains Energy Corridor Coordinating Office -- $285,450
  This funding will be used to develop a Great Plains Energy Corridor Coordinating Office at Bismarck State College to promote and advance the region’s energy industry through education, outreach and development. The Coordinating Office will work with energy researchers and industry to develop new and innovative ways to increase production, invest in the region’s energy infrastructure, and develop new energy sources specific to the Northern Great Plains.