Eggl named to National Enhanced Oil Recovery Initiative
Basin Electric's Mike Eggl is one of 30 members who will work to develop recommendations for federal and state policymakers on how to ramp up carbon dioxide-EOR.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative
- July 15, 2011
 |
Mike Eggl, Basin Electric senior vice president of External Relations and Communications, has been named to the National Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Initiative.
Four U.S. senators and one U.S. representative have pledged support for the initiative – Sens. Kent Conrad and John Hoeven from North Dakota, Sen. Richard Lugar from Indiana, Sen. John Barrasso from Wyoming and Rep. Mike Conaway from Texas. Conrad and Hoeven helped kick off the new initiative at a press event held July 12 in Washington, D.C. Watch a video from the event.
The group includes key leaders in business, states and technology. Eggl is one of 30 members who will work over the coming months to develop recommendations for federal and state policymakers on how to ramp up carbon dioxide-EOR.
Conrad and Hoeven noted that North Dakota is already part of the world’s only commercial-scale carbon sequestration operation through Dakota Gasification Company's Great Plains Synfuels Plant.
"CO2 enhanced oil recovery technology could increase the economically recoverable oil in the United States by 35 billion to 50 billion barrels," Conrad said. "That is a real accomplishment and could make a significant difference in our nation's dependence on foreign energy and certainly in our energy security."
Hoeven talked about North Dakota’s EmPower ND, an energy policy commission put in place to develop a comprehensive energy policy for the state that would produce more energy, but with good environmental responsibility. He said the EOR Initiative is similar to that.
"How do we stimulate, encourage, incentivize that private investment in these EOR techniques and how do we create an environment at the state level and the national level to do it? That’s what this is all about. That's why it’s so important that we work with industry, that we work with leading companies that are doing EOR right now," Hoeven said.
Eggl spoke at the event emphasizing the need for legislative solutions to make carbon dioxide-EOR more widely accessible. "One of the incentives currently in place has not been utilized by anyone for enhanced oil recovery at this point. Part of the solution is making it more widely available," he said. "That's one possible solution and I’m hopeful the group can talk about other possible solutions: things that are actually accomplishable; what can we do that can actually pass legislative muster and get into law."
The group, facilitated by the Great Plains Institute and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, will develop recommendations for federal and state policymakers by early 2012.
Headquarters
1717 East Interstate Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58503-0564 USA
Phone: 701.223.0441
Basin Electric Power Cooperative will provide cost-effective wholesale energy along with products and services that support and unite rural America.
