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Article: Pumped up; Energy policy.(Energy in North Dakota)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- January 31, 2009
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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North Dakota is one of many states waiting for an energy policy from Washington
"THE state of our state is strong," declared North Dakota's governor this month. It is a rarity. Forty-one states face budget gaps; North Dakota has a surplus of $1.2 billion. Part of its success lies in the countryside. In the summer the sun lingers over fields of wheat and sunflowers. Now darkness comes early and snow often. But there are constants in the landscape: smoking coal plants, flares from oil wells and, increasingly, towering windmills.
North Dakota is enjoying an energy boom. True, it is no Texas; it produced just 3.8% of America's crude oil in August 2008, the ...