Dakota Beacon

With Senator Dorgan's retirement announcement, the question about how strongly he will oppose policies that are detrimental to North Dakota is now more important than ever.

On Dec. 1, 2009, Newsweek magazine co-sponsored a panel discussion titled "Climate and Energy Policy: Moving?"  Panelists included Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich).

At this discussion, Senator Dorgan said something that every North Dakotan needs to know about.  Here's what he said:

"I believe in capping carbon and doing it the right way; setting up targets and time tables that are achievable and will work, and finding ways both to constrain carbon, perhaps sequester it, but more likely in my judgment, find beneficial use for it."

He went on to say: 

"Cap-and-trade is one approach.  Carbon fee, which I would prefer, a straightforward carbon fee, would be another approach."

For the uninitiated, Cap and Trade is a scheme of  assigning carbon "pollution" limits to power plants, refineries, factories, office buildings - just about everything that creates electricity, and some that simply use eletricity.

Limitation of carbon emissions, whether in the form of Cap and Trade or not, represents a clear and present danger to the state's economy, and by extension, the people of North Dakota.

Senator Dorgan's proclamation that Carbon Caps are perfectly fine with him is unacceptable; so is his support of a fee (or tax) on carbon.  Energy is easily tied with agriculture as the most important industrial segment of the state's economy.

Senator Dorgan should spend the rest of his days in the Senate opposing legislation he knows is bad for North Dakota's economy. 

He must also fight the EPA's attempts to bypass Congress and impose these measures administratively. 

Now that Senator Dorgan is not seeking re-election, the repercussions of voting against North Dakota's interests will not be felt by him in November.  Let's hope for North Dakota's sake, Senator Dorgan's concern for his own legacy will push him to do the right thing for the state when the issue comes up in the Senate.