ND Officials Protest Added MN Cost On Coal Power
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Top North Dakota officials are renewing their protest of a Minnesota plan to raise the price of electric power that's generated by coal.
Minnesota regulators require utilities to assign environmental costs to future electric supplies that come from coal-fueled power plants. North Dakota exports power to Minnesota from its western coal-producing region.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is updating its cost estimates for coal power. North Dakota's Industrial Commission voted Thursday to send the Minnesota agency a letter saying the added cost should be zero.
Gov. Jack Dalrymple is chairman of the commission. He says the Minnesota rule will restrict the growth of North Dakota's lignite industry.
Coal industry spokesman John Dwyer says North Dakota already does a lot to ease the environmental impact of coal use.
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