North Dakota energy officials call for action on natural gas
Steve Hallstrom
Special to The Farmer
North Dakota could be a major player in increased natural gas exports if the obstacles were removed. That is the position of Lynn Helms, Director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources.
Helms, appearing on KTGO Radio (AM 1090/FM 92.7), said there are two main issues affecting potential exports: the lack of export terminals and the unwillingness of the federal government to allow for the oil drilling that produces natural gas.
Regarding export terminals, Helms said, “We’ve got over a hundred-year supply of natural gas in this country. Our problem is we can’t build export terminals. The federal government and the coastal states just don’t want anything to do with it. Every export terminal that has been proposed off the shores of California, Oregon, and Washington has been turned down by the state and local authorities. So we don’t have access to the Pacific.”