Energy leaders meeting in Fargo say much more infrastructure is needed to power homes and businesses

(Fargo, ND) -- Energy industry leaders who gathered in Fargo Wednesday morning emphasized a common theme.

They say more energy infrastructure is needed to safely and reliably power the region and the country in the years ahead. 

"We are the largest producer of gas in the world. But we can't necessarily get volumes of gas from where it's produced to where it needs to be without additional transmission and that's becoming a problem. Same thing on the electrical transmission side. As we build out more and more renewables you need massive amounts of transmission. The National Academies of Science estimate that in order to get to net zero it's going to take another roughly another million miles of transmission line," said Christopher Guith, Senior Vice President for the U.S. Chamber Global Energy Institute. 

Guith was the keynote speaker at the Midwest Energy Summit sponsored by the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce. 

Guith told attendees that he and others are prioritizing permitting reform in order to speed up approvals for much-needed energy infrastructure projects.