Ken Salazar, secretary of the Department of the Interior (DOI), told energy executives at the Great Plains Energy Expo in Bismark, N.D., that the president's comprehensive energy strategy seeks to responsibly develop all fronts and that North Dakota offers significant conventional and renewable resources.
Although Salazar said the U.S. will continue to rely on traditional domestic sources of energy – including oil, gas and coal- he also noted that the country has an abundance of renewable energy.
North Dakota, in particular, has some of the greatest renewable energy potential in the nation and is poised to become a national leader in developing wind, Salazar said.
‘Developed in the right way and in the right places, the Great Plains states' vast wind energy potential – along with solar, geothermal and other renewables – can power our economy with affordable energy, create thousands of new jobs and reduce harmful pollution associated with the burning of fossil fuels,’ he noted.
Salazar said that of the solar and wind projects currently proposed, more than 5,300 MW of new capacity could be ready for construction by the end of 2010. He added that project construction could create more than 48,000 jobs.
SOURCE: Department of the Interior
