The Boom in the Bakken Continues

The new era in American energy being brought on innovative hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technologies has made, North Dakota, the poster child of the domestic energy boom.  In 2012, North Dakota was the second largest oil producer, boasting the nation’s lowest unemployment rate at 3.6%. North Dakota’s emergence as an energy giant is a beacon on the hill during our nation’s tough economic times and should be used as an example for other states with vast oil and natural gas shale plays. The development of these vast resources is key to America’s economic recovery and job creation, with the result that every state benefits.

Because of this increase in production and demand, two new refineries are being built in North Dakota. The Dakota Prairie refinery broke ground this week and should be completed in 20 months with a capacity of 20,000 barrels per day. The Trenton Diesel Refinery is also planned for construction in the near future. These new refineries will supply much-need fuels to the growing North Dakota population and the critical industries that support the state’s energy developers.

Doubtlessly, North Dakota’s energy renaissance is benefitting the entire country by providing Americans with affordable, domestic energy and good-paying jobs. Accessing and utilizing our nation’s vast energy resources will lead to increased tax revenue, decrease our imports from the Middle East, and create American jobs. With our national economy still sputtering along, we should be developing as much affordable energy as we can here at home. The great state of North Dakota is an American success story and is an example all other states should try to replicate.