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North Dakota House Bill HCR3015

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Dakota House Bill HCR3015 Compare Versions

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1-Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota
2-In Regular Session Commencing Tuesday, January 7, 2025
3-HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3015
4-(Representatives Novak, D. Anderson, Dockter, Hagert, Heinert, J. Olson, Porter, Tveit)
5-(Senators Boehm, Patten)
6-A concurrent resolution urging the Southwest Power Pool and Midcontinent Independent System
7-Operator to promptly and decisively act to maintain the reliability of the bulk power system by
8-addressing market failures that have allowed capacity retirements to outpace replacement.
9-WHEREAS, the welfare of North Dakota's citizens and its economic security depend on a reliable,
10-affordable, and resilient electric power supply; and
1+25.3084.01000
2+Sixty-ninth
3+Legislative Assembly
4+of North Dakota
5+Introduced by
6+Representatives Novak, D. Anderson, Dockter, Hagert, Heinert, J. Olson, Porter, Tveit
7+Senators Boehm, Patten
8+A concurrent resolution urging the Southwest Power Pool and Midcontinent Independent
9+System Operator to promptly and decisively act to maintain the reliability of the bulk power
10+system by addressing market failures that have allowed capacity retirements to outpace
11+replacement.
12+WHEREAS, the welfare of North Dakota's citizens and its economic security depend on a
13+reliable, affordable, and resilient electric power supply; and
1114 WHEREAS, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has expressed concerns about the
1215 reliability and stability of the regional and national electricity grid due to the rapid retirement of
1316 dispatchable generation resources, delays in the development of replacement capacity, and the
14-increasing reliance on intermittent energy sources, which collectively pose risks to the ability of regional
15-transmission organizations like Southwest Power Pool and Midcontinent Independent System Operator
16-to ensure consistent and reliable power delivery; and
17+increasing reliance on intermittent energy sources, which collectively pose risks to the ability of
18+regional transmission organizations like Southwest Power Pool and Midcontinent Independent
19+System Operator to ensure consistent and reliable power delivery; and
1720 WHEREAS, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's 2024 Long-Term Reliability
18-Assessment warns that over half of North America faces elevated risks of energy shortages due to
19-increasing demand, rapid generator retirements, and delays in resource development; and
20-WHEREAS, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator has been identified as a high-risk
21-region, with resource adequacy targets potentially falling short within the next 5 years, while the
22-Southwest Power Pool is also categorized as an elevated-risk region; and
23-WHEREAS, Midcontinent Independent System Operator and Southwest Power Pool, which serve
24-North Dakota, have experienced repeated maximum generation alerts and load-shedding events in
25-recent years, highlighting the critical need to address resource adequacy and reliability issues; and
26-WHEREAS, the accelerated retirement of dispatchable base-load generation resources, combined
27-with insufficient replacement capacity, creates a widening reliability gap as weather-dependent
28-resources saturate the grid; and
21+Assessment warns that over half of North America faces elevated risks of energy shortages due
22+to increasing demand, rapid generator retirements, and delays in resource development; and
23+WHEREAS, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator has been identified as a
24+high-risk region, with resource adequacy targets potentially falling short within the next 5 years,
25+while the Southwest Power Pool is also categorized as an elevated-risk region; and
26+WHEREAS, Midcontinent Independent System Operator and Southwest Power Pool, which
27+serve North Dakota, have experienced repeated maximum generation alerts and load-shedding
28+events in recent years, highlighting the critical need to address resource adequacy and
29+reliability issues; and
30+WHEREAS, the accelerated retirement of dispatchable base-load generation resources,
31+combined with insufficient replacement capacity, creates a widening reliability gap as
32+weather-dependent resources saturate the grid; and
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34+ HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3015
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60+25 Sixty-ninth
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2962 WHEREAS, announced dispatchable generation retirements in the 15-state Midcontinent
3063 Independent System Operator region are projected to exceed 30 gigawatts by 2030, further
3164 exacerbating resource adequacy challenges; and
32-WHEREAS, direct and indirect subsidies for specific energy resources distort market economics,
33-making it difficult for dispatchable base-load generation resources to remain economically viable and
34-accelerating early retirement; and
65+WHEREAS, direct and indirect subsidies for specific energy resources distort market
66+economics, making it difficult for dispatchable base-load generation resources to remain
67+economically viable and accelerating early retirement; and
3568 WHEREAS, Midcontinent Independent System Operator has identified six critical reliability
36-attributes, including availability, energy assurance, fuel assurance, rapid start-up capability, ramp-up
37-capability, and voltage stability, which are essential for maintaining grid reliability; and
38-WHEREAS, reforming market pricing mechanisms are urgently needed to ensure these critical
39-attributes are appropriately valued, supporting the continued operation of resources necessary for grid
40-reliability and resilience; and
41-WHEREAS, state and federal renewable energy mandates, while promoting the development of
42-weather-dependent generation, do not fully account for impacts on grid reliability, market distortions,
43-and the availability of dispatchable generation during periods of peak demand and extreme weather;
44-and H.C.R. NO. 3015 - PAGE 2
45-WHEREAS, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, executive actions, including the
46-"unleashing American energy" executive order, emphasized the importance of maintaining domestic
47-energy reliability, reducing regulatory barriers, and promoting fair competition for all energy resources
48-on a level playing field; and
49-WHEREAS, North Dakota supports a diversified energy strategy that includes thermal, renewable,
50-and emerging technologies, such as hydrogen and carbon capture, utilization, and storage, to ensure
51-the state and the nation have access to an affordable, reliable, and resilient energy grid;
52-NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF NORTH
53-DAKOTA, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN:
69+attributes, including availability, energy assurance, fuel assurance, rapid start-up capability,
70+ramp-up capability, and voltage stability, which are essential for maintaining grid reliability; and
71+WHEREAS, reforming market pricing mechanisms are urgently needed to ensure these
72+critical attributes are appropriately valued, supporting the continued operation of resources
73+necessary for grid reliability and resilience; and
74+WHEREAS, state and federal renewable energy mandates, while promoting the
75+development of weather-dependent generation, do not fully account for impacts on grid
76+reliability, market distortions, and the availability of dispatchable generation during periods of
77+peak demand and extreme weather; and
78+WHEREAS, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, executive actions, including
79+the "unleashing American energy" executive order, emphasized the importance of maintaining
80+domestic energy reliability, reducing regulatory barriers, and promoting fair competition for all
81+energy resources on a level playing field; and
82+WHEREAS, North Dakota supports a diversified energy strategy that includes thermal,
83+renewable, and emerging technologies, such as hydrogen and carbon capture, utilization, and
84+storage, to ensure the state and the nation have access to an affordable, reliable, and resilient
85+energy grid;
86+NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF
87+NORTH DAKOTA, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN:
5488 That the Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly urges Southwest Power Pool and Midcontinent
55-Independent System Operator to take immediate and decisive actions to maintain the reliability of the
56-bulk power system by addressing market failures that have allowed capacity retirements to outpace
57-replacement; and
58-BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED , that the Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly urges the Public Service
59-Commission and North Dakota Transmission Authority to advocate for policies at Midcontinent
60-Independent System Operator and Southwest Power Pool that fairly compensate dispatchable base-
61-load energy resources, accurately value all generation resources based on contributions to grid
62-reliability, and ensure the availability of generation at all hours to meet demand; and
63-BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED , that market structures must reflect and promote a balanced energy
64-mix by valuing thermal, renewable, and emerging resources based on the utility's ability to maintain grid
65-reliability, affordability, and resilience; and
66-BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED , that the Secretary of State forward copies of this resolution to the
67-Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Service Commission, North Dakota Transmission
68-Authority, each member of the North Dakota Congressional Delegation, Midcontinent Independent
69-System Operator, and Southwest Power Pool. H.C.R. NO. 3015 - PAGE 3
70-____________________________ ____________________________
71-Speaker of the House President of the Senate
72-____________________________ ____________________________
73-Chief Clerk of the House Secretary of the Senate
74-Filed in this office this ___________day of _______________________________________, 2025,
75-at ________ o’clock ________M.
76-____________________________
77-Secretary of State
89+Independent System Operator to take immediate and decisive actions to maintain the reliability
90+of the bulk power system by addressing market failures that have allowed capacity retirements
91+to outpace replacement; and
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122+30 Sixty-ninth
123+Legislative Assembly
124+BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED , that the Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly urges the Public
125+Service Commission and North Dakota Transmission Authority to advocate for policies at
126+Midcontinent Independent System Operator and Southwest Power Pool that fairly compensate
127+dispatchable base-load energy resources, accurately value all generation resources based on
128+contributions to grid reliability, and ensure the availability of generation at all hours to meet
129+demand; and
130+BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED , that market structures must reflect and promote a balanced
131+energy mix by valuing thermal, renewable, and emerging resources based on the utility's ability
132+to maintain grid reliability, affordability, and resilience; and
133+BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED , that the Secretary of State forward copies of this resolution
134+to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Service Commission, North Dakota
135+Transmission Authority, each member of the North Dakota Congressional Delegation,
136+Midcontinent Independent System Operator, and Southwest Power Pool.
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