skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump plans to sign an executive order aimed at dismantling the Education Department; Advocates push Alabama Senate to fully end grocery tax; More Wyomingites get degrees, but anti-DEI law could slow progress; Competition prepares students for environmental science careers.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

White House attacks the judge who moved to block deportation of Venezuelans. Ukrainian President agrees to a limited ceasefire. And advocates say closing CFPB would put consumers on the hook for 'junk' charges and predatory fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Cuts to Medicaid and frozen funding for broadband are both likely to have a negative impact on rural healthcare, which is already struggling. Plus, lawsuits over the mass firing of federal workers have huge implications for public lands.

Is your electric bill higher? Independent analysis says don't blame clean energy

play audio
Play

Monday, July 22, 2024   

Advancing clean energy sources can be a tricky topic in oil-producing states like North Dakota.

But a nonpartisan analysis says the facts are clear about what causes electric bills to climb, and renewables aren't among them.

This month, a report from the independent think tank Energy Innovation says one third of U.S. households had to forego basic necessities to pay energy bills last year.

As the nation scales up the transition to sources like wind and solar power, those opposed to clean energy rebates and other climate policies say the movement is harming consumers - with higher costs to keep the lights on.

But report author Brendan Pierpont - director of electricity modeling for Energy Innovation - said the facts show otherwise.

"Nationally, we found big drivers of rising rates are climate change impacts, and extreme weather - and fossil fuel costs," said Pierpont, "like volatile natural gas prices, and utility investment in aging, expensive coal plants."

Gov. Doug Burgum has increasingly become a staunch supporter of oil and gas production, but North Dakota has been a top ten state for wind energy generation.

The report says states with significant clean energy growth have not generally experienced rate hikes above inflation.

Between 2010 and 2023, North Dakota was in the middle of the pack for rate increases, but still below the national average.

Those who oversee the power grid warn that the rapid push toward renewables could create reliability issues in the short term, especially with rising electricity demand from places like big data centers.

Grid improvement projects are taking shape, also affecting energy bills. But Pierpont suggested not enough of them are designed to expand transmission lines.

"It's only a pretty small portion of the total transmission and distribution pie that is expanding the grid," said Pierpont, "either to meet rising demand or to integrate new resources, like wind and solar."

Pierpoint said those cleaner sources are becoming much cheaper, and if utilities and grid operators focus more on larger projects that get them online, they'll offset the factors pushing electricity bills higher.

In 2022, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator approved a $10 billion transmission plan to accommodate growth in renewables. North Dakota falls under the MISO map.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
PoliChic Engagement Fund says it's critical Texans make sure lawmakers are voting in their public interest. (JHVEPhoto/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Many Texans feel strongly, one way or another, about the proposed school voucher bill before state lawmakers. Gov. Greg Abbott has proposed a plan to …


Social Issues

play sound

As the Trump administration makes good on promises to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, educators and parents are raising concerns about the …

Environment

play sound

Greenpeace has been ordered to pay several hundred million dollars stemming from the Dakota Access Pipeline protests and some are saying the verdict l…


Experts advised neighbors to work together to reduce the risk of fire racing across the block or through the neighborhood. (Brian/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

As Los Angeles starts to recover from the firestorm, people are looking for ways to harden their homes against future mega-blazes. Experts said the …

Environment

play sound

A local event that brings students face-to-face with outdoor habitats is serving to ignite a lifelong passion in some that go on to pursue "green jobs…

Research shows there is a direct correlation between unstable housing and food insecurity. (FamilyWorks Food Bank)

Social Issues

play sound

While affordable housing advocates across the state have been cheering on Washington's rent stabilization bill in Olympia, so have organizations …

Social Issues

play sound

Industry groups say Minnesota is short more than 100,000 affordable-housing units to meet demand, and project leaders have said the Trump …

Social Issues

play sound

The number of working-age Wyoming adults with college degrees or valuable credentials increased by over 18% between 2009 and 2023, according to …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021