Editing North Dakota (section)

===Energy===
{{See also|List of power stations in North Dakota}}
[[File:Oil Pump North Dakota.jpg|thumb|[[Oil well]] in western North Dakota]]

The [[energy industry]] is a major contributor to the economy. North Dakota has both coal and oil reserves. On average, the state's production of oil production grew at average annual rate of 48.4% from 2009 to 2018. During these years, oil production increased each year from 2009 to 2015, with 2016 marked by a slight decline and a return to growth since.<ref name=":1" /> [[Shale gas]] is also produced. [[Lignite coal]] reserves in Western North Dakota are used to generate about 90% of the electricity consumed, and electricity is also exported to nearby states.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/state_profiles/north_dakota.html|title=EIA Renewable Energy-North Dakota Renewable Profile|date=May 27, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527040437/http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/state_profiles/north_dakota.html|archive-date=May 27, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref> North Dakota has the second largest lignite coal production in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web | website=National Mining Association | title=Coal Statistics | date=May 15, 2011 | url=http://www.nma.org/statistics/coal.asp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515065127/http://www.nma.org/statistics/coal.asp | archive-date=May 15, 2011 | url-status=dead | access-date=November 15, 2018|df=mdy-all}}</ref> However, lignite coal is the lowest grade coal. There are larger and higher grade coal reserves ([[anthracite]], [[bituminous coal]] and [[subbituminous coal]]) in other U.S. states.

Oil was discovered near [[Tioga, North Dakota|Tioga]] in 1951, generating {{convert|53|Moilbbl|m3}} of oil a year by 1984.<ref>{{cite web | title = Things To Do In North Dakota | url = http://www.thingstodo.com/states/ND/history.htm | publisher = ThingsToDo.com | access-date = October 4, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071013151124/http://thingstodo.com/states/ND/history.htm | archive-date = October 13, 2007 | url-status = live }}</ref> Recoverable oil reserves have jumped dramatically recently. The oil reserves of the [[Bakken Formation]] may hold up to {{convert|400|Goilbbl|m3}} of oil, 25&nbsp;times larger than the reserves in the [[Arctic National Wildlife Refuge]].<ref>{{Cite news |first= Dan |last= Gunderson |title= North Dakota oil patch is booming |url= http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/08/18/ndoil/ |publisher= Minnesota Public Radio |date= August 28, 2006 |access-date= October 4, 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071013163803/http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/08/18/ndoil/ |archive-date= October 13, 2007 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|first= Lauren |last= Donovan |title= North Dakota may be bigger oil player than Alaska |publisher=Bismarck Tribune |date= June 20, 2006 }}</ref> A report issued in April 2008 by the U.S. Geological Survey estimates the oil recoverable by current technology in the Bakken formation is two orders of magnitude less, in the range of {{convert|3|Goilbbl}} to {{convert|4.3|Goilbbl}}, with a mean of {{convert|3.65|Goilbbl}}.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911 | title= 3 to 4.3 Billion Barrels of Technically Recoverable Oil Assessed in North Dakota and Montana's Bakken Formation—25 Times More Than 1995 Estimate | date= April 10, 2008 | publisher= U.S. Geological Survey | access-date= April 11, 2008 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080411205625/http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911 | archive-date= April 11, 2008 | url-status= live }}</ref>

The northwestern part of the state is the center of the [[North Dakota oil boom]]. The [[Williston, North Dakota|Williston]], [[Tioga, North Dakota|Tioga]], [[Stanley, North Dakota|Stanley]] and [[Minot]]-[[Burlington, North Dakota|Burlington]] communities are having rapid growth that strains housing and local services. {{As of|2022|November|30}}, the state is the 2nd-largest oil producer in the U.S., with an average of {{convert|1097716|oilbbl}} per day while producing {{convert|3029032|kcuft|m3}} per day of natural gas for a total of {{convert|1619963|oilbbl|m3}} of oil equivalent ([[Barrel of oil equivalent|BOE]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=North Dakota Drilling and Production Statistics |url=https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/stats/statisticsvw.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709144412/https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/stats/statisticsvw.asp |archive-date=July 9, 2017 |access-date=February 14, 2023 |website=Dmr.nd.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_crd_crpdn_adc_mbbl_m.htm|title=Crude Oil Production|website=Eia.doe.gov|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110423163032/http://www.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_crd_crpdn_adc_mbbl_m.htm|archive-date=April 23, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-05-16/news/31726887_1_oil-production-alaska-oil-oil-patch |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120710001013/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-05-16/news/31726887_1_oil-production-alaska-oil-oil-patch |url-status=dead |title= North Dakota becomes US's 2nd-leading oil producer—Economic Times |date= July 10, 2012 |archive-date= July 10, 2012 |via= Archive.is |access-date= September 4, 2017}}</ref>

The [[Great Plains]] region, which includes the state of North Dakota, has been referred to as "the Saudi Arabia of wind energy".<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/Epr/Epr1_ss16.htm | title= Earth Policy Reader | access-date= February 25, 2009 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090604155350/http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/Epr/Epr1_ss16.htm | archive-date= June 4, 2009 | df= mdy-all }}</ref> Development of wind energy in North Dakota has been cost effective because the state has large rural expanses and wind speeds seldom go below {{convert|10|mph}}.