NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — In Wednesday’s Eye on Ag & Energy, we discuss North Dakota’s role in carbon management.

KX News visited with Brad Crabtree, a North Dakota native who is currently serving as the Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary for fossil energy and carbon management in Washington D.C.

Crabtree informed us that, because North Dakota is such a hub for energy, the University of North Dakota was selected to receive $38 million for a CO2 storage hub.

He also states that this would help manage CO2 emissions in a method that is virtually harmless to citizens.

Another issue Crabtree brought up is critical mineral production. Since we do not have any facilities in the U.S. to produce the critical minerals that we mine, America must export them to other countries. He says to begin to solve this problem, the DOE selected UND to receive $8 million to advance America’s first-of-its-kind critical minerals production facility–in order to keep American resources in America.

“For the first time in the history of our country,” said Crabtree, “we have a whole set of federal policies that can provide the resources for North Dakota to re-tool its energy economy for the future so that we can continue to be a leader in energy production for our country — as well as supporting the high wage jobs and communities that depend on these industries.”

Crabtree also states that these programs are being completed thanks to bipartisan lawmakers choosing to work across the aisles.