Fedorchak joins Secretary Wright, Senator Hoeven, Governor Armstrong to spotlight North Dakota’s role in strengthening U.S. energy dominance
Leaders discuss “cracking the code” in the Bakken through enhanced oil recovery with CO2 from ND coal-fired power plants
Grand Forks, ND – Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) today joined U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Senator John Hoeven, and Governor Kelly Armstrong at the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) to discuss marrying North Dakota’s coal industry with the oil and gas sector through the use of CO2 for enhanced oil recovery.
The visit included a meeting with EERC leadership, a tour of the facility, and a roundtable discussion titled “Cracking the Code 2.0” with leaders of the state’s oil, gas, coal, and power industries along with North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources Director Nathan Anderson, UND President Andy Armacost, and state legislators. The events highlighted the EERC’s longstanding partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) and its groundbreaking work in carbon capture, oil recovery, and other technologies critical to powering America with reliable, affordable energy from the Bakken.
“North Dakota’s leadership in developing the energy technologies our nation needs was on full display today. From carbon capture that boosts oil recovery to extending the life of reliable coal plants, the innovation happening here is second to none—thanks in large part to the researchers, engineers, and partners at the EERC,” Fedorchak said. “Having Secretary Wright here to see this work firsthand and discuss ways the DOE can further enhance this work is vital. Secretary Wright understands that energy is foundational to modern life—and how it improves lives for Americans and others around the world. As we saw today, North Dakota’s innovation, resources, and work ethic are making that mission possible.”
During the tour, participants saw EERC’s latest projects, including recovering rare earth elements from lignite coal, front-end testing and design for injection wells, and using carbon dioxide to increase Bakken oil recovery rates and extend the life of coal-fired power plants. These advancements align with the strengthened 45Q tax incentive in the One Big Beautiful Bill, which is designed to accelerate CO2 utilization and bolster U.S. energy security through Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR).
At the “Crack the Code 2.0” roundtable, participants discussed strategies to double the oil recovery rates in the Bakken and double the life of coal-fired power plants. As discussed on the tour of EERC, the Bakken oil recovery rates are currently between 5 and 15 percent—meaning there are billions of untapped barrels of oil that could help bolster American energy security, create jobs, and support local economies. Last year, total production from the Bakken formation surpassed 5 billion barrels, and EOR has the potential to recover at least an additional 5 billion barrels of oil out of the Bakken.
Earlier this year, Fedorchak introduced the Baseload Reliability Protection Act to prohibit the retirement of reliable baseload generators in regions identified by NERC as being at elevated or high risk of electricity shortfalls. The bill ensures dependable energy sources like coal-fired power plants remain online to preserve reliability at a time when every megawatt counts.