North Dakota
From Conservapedia
| Capital | Bismarck |
|---|---|
| Nickname | The Peace Garden State |
| Official Language | English |
| Governor | John Hoeven, R |
| Senator | Kent Conrad, D (202) 224-2043 Contact |
| Senator | Byron Dorgan, D (202) 224-2551 Contact |
| Admission to Union | November 2, 1889 (39th) |
| Motto: "Liberty and Union Now and Forever; One and Inseparable" |
North Dakota is a northern Midwestern state that became the thirty-ninth state to enter into the union on November 2, 1889. It entered on the same day as South Dakota, but is given status first because of alphabetical order. Its capital is Bismarck, and largest city by population is Fargo. North Dakota is the only state that has a state-owned bank in the nation.[1] North Dakota is located in the center of the North American continent. The exact geographical center is located 97 miles NE of Bismarck, 15 miles SW of Rugby. [2]
Its current political nature is an anomaly; while it has given its electoral votes to Republican Presidential candidates since 1968, usually by wide margins, voters have continued to elect all Democrats to both Houses of Congress. The current governor of North Dakota is John Hoeve.
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Energy
North Dakota has considerable fossil fuel reserves. Coal is extracted from large surface mines in central North Dakota. Substantial crude oil and natural gas reserves are located in the Williston Basin, in the western part of the State. Although a low population largely accounts for the State’s low total energy consumption, North Dakota’s per capita energy consumption ranks among the highest in the Nation, in large part due to high demand for heating during cold winters and an energy-intensive economy. Industry accounts for nearly one-half of the State’s total energy consumption.[3]
Petroleum
North Dakota is a substantial crude oil-producing State with an output typically equal to roughly 2% of total annual U.S. production. The State is also an entrance point for Canadian crude oil transported via pipeline to U.S. Midwest refining markets. A small petroleum refinery near Bismarck refines crude oil extracted from the Williston Basin, which covers eastern Montana and the western Dakotas, as well as a small amount of Canadian crude. The refinery produces transportation fuels primarily for the northern Great Plains States and the Twin Cities area. A small new refinery has been proposed on the Fort Berthold Indian reservation in western North Dakota. If constructed, it would be the first new crude oil refinery in the United States in decades.
Ethanol is produced at four ethanol plants in North Dakota, and a fifth is under construction, giving the State considerable ethanol production capacity. North Dakota is a moderate consumer of ethanol in blended motor gasoline, although it is one of the few States in the Nation that allow the statewide use of conventional motor gasoline. (Most States require the use of specific gasoline blends in non-attainment areas due to air-quality considerations.)
Natural Gas
North Dakota typically produces roughly 1% of the Nation’s annual natural gas production. The majority of the State’s supply is transported via major pipelines originating in Montana and western Canada on their way to U.S. Midwest consumption markets. North Dakota has the distinction of being one of only two States that produce synthetic natural gas. The single largest source of synthetic gas in the United States is the Great Plains Synfuels Plant in Beulah, North Dakota, which annually produces more than 54 billion cubic feet of gas from coal. Overall State usage of natural gas is low, with the industrial sector leading State consumption. Over two-fifths of the households in North Dakota use natural gas as their primary source of energy for home heating.
Coal, Electricity, and Renewables
Electricity generation and demand are both low in North Dakota, commensurate with the State’s population. Coal-fired plants provide nearly all of North Dakota’s electricity generation. Most of the coal used for power generation is supplied by several large surface mines in the central part of the State. State coal production is substantial, and North Dakota brings in only small amounts of coal from other States. Hydroelectric dams account for most of the State’s non-coal-generated electricity. The Garrison Dam, located about 75 miles northwest of Bismarck, is North Dakota’s fifth largest plant in electricity generation capability. The vast majority of the State is rich in wind energy potential, a dozen wind power projects are currently operational, and the State has plans for further development. Nearly three-tenths of North Dakota households use electricity as their primary energy source for home heating.
Notable people from North Dakota
- Dick Armey, a former US Representative who played a significant role in the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives in 1994, was born in Cando.
- Louis L'Amour, an author who specialized in writing Westerns, was born in Jamestown.
- Sacagawea, who served as a guide on Lewis and Clark's expedition, spent several years living in a village in what is now North Dakota.
References
- ↑ http://www.banknd.nd.gov/bndhome.jsp
- ↑ http://hypertextbook.com/bent/photos/geographic.center.html
- ↑ See Energy Information Administration, State Report 2009
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