Energy Facts by State

Because of many local laws and guidelines, energy production and use is highly dictated by each state government. Below is a state-by-state assessment of energy production and use in the Northwest Central (from http://www.eia.gov).

Idaho

Idaho is rich in renewable energy resources; geothermal energy capable of generating electricity at commercial levels is present in most of the state.
In 2012, Idaho’s in-state net electricity generation equaled 55% of the state’s total electric industry retail sales. The remainder came from other states and international imports.
In 2013, 78% of Idaho’s net electricity generation came from renewable energy resources, and Idaho had the lowest average electricity prices in the United States.
Hydroelectric power supplied 58% of net electricity generation in Idaho in 2013.
Idaho’s wind generation increased by nearly 35% in 2013, providing 16% of net electricity generation.

Montana

The Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota holds one of the largest accumulations of crude oil in the United States; its Bakken and Three Forks formations are currently estimated to be capable of producing 7.4 billion barrels of oil.
As of the end of 2012, Montana held over one-fourth of the nation’s estimated recoverable coal reserves at producing mines and was the eighth largest coal-producing state. It produced 3.6% of US coal in 2012 and distributed coal to nine other states.
Montana’s four refineries, with almost 30% of US Petroleum Administration for Defense District 4 (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming) refining capacity in 2012, are able to process heavy Canadian crude oil for regional markets.
Wind electric power generation in Montana grew by almost 32% in 2013 and supplied 6% of the state’s net electricity generation.
Montana has created a Renewable Energy Resource Standard requiring that public utilities and competitive electricity suppliers obtain 15% of electricity sales from renewable energy resources by 2015.

Nebraska

The Niobrara shale formation is an emerging oil play that includes southwest Nebraska, northeast Colorado, and northwest Kansas.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that almost 92% of Nebraska has suitable conditions for wind-powered electricity generation.
In 2013, Nebraska ranked 22nd among the 50 states in crude oil production. Most of the production came from small oil reserves in the western part of the state.
Nebraska’s net electricity generation from its two nuclear reactors was 38% lower in 2013 than in 2010, as a result of the temporary closure of the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant between April 2011 and December 2013.
Nebraska ranked second in the nation, after Iowa, in corn-based ethanol production capacity in 2014.

North Dakota

Although North Dakota’s total energy consumption is among the lowest in the nation as a result of its small population, the state’s consumption per capita ranks among the highest, in part because of the energy-intensive industrial sector and high heating demand in winter.
North Dakota had 6% of the nation’s recoverable coal reserves at producing mines as of 2012; the state’s coal production, which all came from surface mines, accounted for 2.7% of US coal production in 2012.
In 2013, North Dakota was the second largest crude oil-producing state in the nation and accounted for over 11.5% of total US crude oil production; a 177% increase in production from 2010 to 2013 was primarily driven by horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in the Bakken formation.
In 2013, 79% of North Dakota’s net electricity generation came from coal, almost 16% came from wind energy, and about 5% came from conventional hydroelectric power sources.
North Dakota has abundant wind resources and ranked 6th in the nation in wind energy potential, 11th in utility-scale generation, and 12th in installed capacity in 2013.

South Dakota

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that 88% of South Dakota’s land area is suitable for wind resource development.
In 2013, South Dakota had more net electricity generated from hydroelectric power than from any other source.
Wind and hydroelectric power provided 65% of South Dakota’s total net electricity generation in 2013.
South Dakota ranked fifth in the nation in ethanol production capacity in 2014.
South Dakotans’ price for electricity averaged 8.83 cents per kilowatt hour in 2013 across all sectors, compared to the national average of 10.08 cents per kilowatt hour.

Wyoming

Wyoming produced 39% of all coal mined in the United States in 2012.
In 2012, 34 states received coal from Wyoming mines, with 9 states, including Wyoming, obtaining more than 90% of their domestic coal from Wyoming.
Wyoming accounted for 7.4% of US marketed natural gas production in 2013.
In 2013, almost 89% of net electricity generation in Wyoming came from coal and about 10% came from renewable energy resources, primarily wind.
Wyoming had the third lowest average electricity price of any state in 2013.