BISMARCK—The North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) hosted its annual Christmas Gala this year at Bismarck State College’s National Energy Center of Excellence Dec. 8. President Ron Ness, board members, political officials, and many business members of the nation’s oil and gas industry attended.
“We have an opportunity here in North Dakota to lead the world in clean, real energy.” Ron Ness, President of the North Dakota Petroleum Council
President of the North Dakota Petroleum Council Ron Ness addressed the group saying the state has a step up on the rest of the world, along with the cleanest air and water, "In North Dakota, we can make a barrel of oil a lot more environmentally friendly than OPEC or any of our unfriendly nations. My goal and one of many North Dakotans is to recognize that our consumers and the next generation want cleaner energy. American consumers want reliable, affordable energy. Looking across the world, some countries are still using wood, dung and materials other than reliable energy. Resources like natural gas has changed lives and saved lives.”
The NDPC is the primary voice of the oil and gas industry in North Dakota, representing more than 625 companies involved in the industry, and it serves the industry and its members through advocacy, learning and ensuring North Dakota maintains a friendly business climate that allows for opportunity and growth. Council members help shape the policies and solutions that help drive the industry forward and provide opportunity to network with industry and government leaders in the state.
The event included guest speakers Bishop Craig Sweitzer, Western ND Synod, and Sr. Kathleen Atkinson from Ministry on the Margins. The NDPC also hosted a toy drive benefiting Ministry on the Margins during this holiday season. Guests were also treated to the Legacy High School Gold Standard Vocal Ensemble directed by Michael Seil.
Brady Pelton, newly elected Vice President of NDPC said, “The quarterly board meeting that was just held had a good symmetry of high level guests including Lynn Helms, director of North Dakota Department of Mineral Recourses, Dave Glatt, Department of Environmental Quality, NDDOT director, Bill Panos, all giving updates on what is going on in the industry. We have really positive outlooks on how the industry is moving forward in North Dakota.”
“Because of the small nature of our state and the ability of all of us to work together with industry and our leaders across the state, we can make that Bakken barrel cleaner, we can make the coal cleaner. American consumers will not tolerate sky-rocketing energy prices; its just eats the American family’s bottom line. They need affordable, reliable energy and that’s going come from oil, coal, and natural gas,” added Ness.
Petroleum has historically been the largest energy source of total annual U.S. energy consumption. We use petroleum products to run vehicles, to heat buildings, and to produce electricity. In the industrial sector, the petrochemical industry uses petroleum as a raw material (a feedstock) to make products such as plastics, polyurethane, solvents, and hundreds of other intermediate and end-user goods according to the U.S. Energy and Information Administration.
“In North Dakota, we are looking at decades of future opportunities; we have so many young people that are here because of energy. We are seeing schools across the west grow in population due to energy. It’s not a coincidence that McKenzie county is not only the largest oil producing county in America, it also led the U.S. Census as the fastest growing county in the America," Ness added. "We are going to do oil and coal a little bit better than the rest of the world, right here in North Dakota.”
Joe Wiegand, Teddy Roosevelt reprisor and actor in the Medora Musical summed up what Theodore Roosevelt once said, “That it’s the right and duty of every generation to use the natural resources, especially in the public lands and to do so in a way that leaves them in a better condition for the future and not in worse. There is nobody that takes care of this country better than the members and the producers of the North Dakota Petroleum Council.”
