08.21.17

Hoeven Recognized as Energy Champion by EERC

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today was awarded the “Energy Champion” Award by the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota (UND). The award honors those who have demonstrated leadership and commitment to energy and environmental research nationwide.

“Through their work to help produce more energy with greater efficiently, the EERC is helping to advance the long-term energy security of our nation,” Hoeven said. “EERC continues to develop important initiatives like carbon capture and storage technology which will help North Dakota’s energy industry produce affordable, reliable energy for many years to come. I am grateful to work with them to support energy development in North Dakota and throughout our nation, and I am honored to receive this award.”

Hoeven continues his efforts to support the mission of the EERC and provide regulatory certainty for North Dakota’s energy industry:

REGULATORY CERTAINTY

State Regulatory Primacy – Hoeven recently secured approval from the EPA for North Dakota’s application for regulatory primacy over Class VI injection wells, which are used for the geologic or long-term storage of CO2. The senator worked to secure the first-in-the-nation approval, which provides certainty for energy producers and makes carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology more economically feasible. 

CO2 Regulatory Certainty Act – This month, Hoeven reintroduced his CO2 Regulatory Certainty Act. The senator’s bill aligns tax guidelines with existing federal regulations at the EPA to ensure CCS project developers can use the Section 45Q tax credit.

Rescinding Burdensome Regulations – In March, Hoeven joined the president as he signed an executive order to stop the EPA’s costly rules for new and existing coal generating power plants and to begin the process of rolling back the regulations. In the last Congress, Hoeven cosponsored and the Senate passed two resolutions to repeal the regulations, which President Obama subsequently vetoed.

CCS FUNDING

Hoeven continues his efforts to support the development of commercially-viable clean coal technologies, including Project Tundra and the Allam Cycle. As a member of the Senate Energy and Energy Appropriations Committees, the senator worked to ensure the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2018 energy funding bill rejected the administration’s proposed cuts to CCS programs. Hoeven also secured a commitment from Energy Secretary Rick Perry earlier this year to support CCS pilot and demonstration projects and continues working to ensure the final appropriations measure provides adequate funding.

The EERC created Energy Champion Award in 1986 to honor individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to energy and environmental research and development. Senator Hoeven is the tenth recipient of the award.

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