Renewable Energy Action Summit | Video

Jennifer Joas | 6/25/2012

North Dakota already has wind farms and ethanol plants but there is still room to grow when it comes to renewable sources of energy. That is why industry leaders gathered for the 5th annual Renewable Energy Action Summit at Bismarck State College. The goal was to look to the future.

"We can get to energy security within five years if we just work on this as a nation the way we worked on it here in North Dakota. When I say energy security, I mean we produce more energy, traditional and renewable here than we consume," said Senator John Hoeven.

Some of the possible energy sources discussed were geothermal technology, which would require taking the hot fracking wastewater and turning it into energy. Another energy source could be using beets, wheat straw or switchgrass and turning it into power. Summit speakers say the federal government needs to look to North Dakota as an example for their national energy policy.

"When you look at North Dakota, you can see how the energy policy, coupled together with the industry and the state, and in fact renewing and bringing forward new energies in the state, is a great template. It is a great blueprint of how we might be able to do this on the national scale," said Dr. Dana Christensen, U.S. Dept of Energy Deputy Lab Director.

"The United States needs to lead in the global sector the way that North Dakota is leading here at home," said Phyllis Cuttino of Pew Charitable Trusts.

Speakers say if the U.S. creates a national energy policy, it could strengthen the energy security in our country, create more jobs and protect the environment.

The renewable energy sector has grown by 600% nationwide since 2004.

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