Dustin Gawrylow, founder and chairman of the North Dakota Watchdog Network joined Jason Spiess of ESG University to discuss whether North Dakota’s Clean Sustainable Energy Authority is a way for North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to create his own Green New Deal.
Gawrylow believes there is disagreement over the direction of the Clean Sustainable Energy Fund, and whether the funds should go toward new green energy or maintaining existing energy.
“When you look at the members of the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority there aren’t very many from solar or wind,” Gawrylow said.
In real time during the interview, Spiess logged onto the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority’s website and their committee members.
“This is the same list of people who sit on every other committee that oversees the allocation of tax dollars and access to government money. A lot of these people recieve tax money from these appointed committees.” Spiess said. “I have no idea how these people can do their day-to-day jobs because it seems all they do is go to meetings at some restaurant, bar or event center that is catered with linen tablecloths and multiple course meals. Or at least that’s what I see on social media from a lot of appointed government leaders.”
Gawyrlow agreed with Spiess’ observation and took it a step further.
“One of the biggest boondoggles of the last few years in North Dakota has been what was created in the 2021 Legislative Session called the ‘Clean and Sustainable Energy Fund,” Gawrylow said. “This was part of the $500 million coal industry bailout bill that we strongly opposed at the time.”
Governor Burgum’s proposals is to invest a $500 million revolving loan fund from the Legacy Fund into the Clean and Sustainable Energy Authority.
North Dakota’s Clean Sustainable Energy Authority was established in 2021 under the control of the Industrial Commission to enhance the production of clean sustainable energy in North Dakota.
To make it clear - taxpayers are now going to be asked to not only prop up coal, but also pay for the transition into energy sources that will make coal obsolete,” Gawrylow said. “Apparently, Governor Doug Burgum has his own Green New Deal.”
During that time, Governor Burgum proposed going carbon neutral by 2030 and a clean hydrogen plant near Beulah.
Gawrylow was also interviewed by KXNews in Bismarck regarding the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority
… a commission established by the Governor that consists of lobbyists from coal country, known as Empower ND Commission, has been circulating bill drafts explicitly stating that the money should not go toward new green energy but rather propping up existing coal energy in western North Dakota.
“If we go by the intent of the Governor’s plan, this money will essentially go to green energy and new energy sources. And, that’s going to be a fight that will bring in multiple factions of the Republican party, that don’t want to see the state going down the road of propping up green energy because they view that as diminishing existing energy, the coal, and oil,” explained North Dakota Watchdog Network founder Dustin Gawrylow.
KX News has obtained one of the bill drafts which states that the money should go toward supporting energy derived from Agriculture, Lignite Coal, and oil and gas.
It will be used for research and development of technological advancements that will reduce the emissions and environmental impacts of these traditional energies.
Spiess asked Gawrlow if Senator Hoeven and Governor Burgum were using the notoriously corrupt template by the Democrats where they use the “Rock The Vote” non profit as their day-to-day public relations, social media, youth engagement and administrative duties within the state of North Dakota.
“There is definately a model that uses government and non profits to push an agenda and quite frankly I think Governor Burgum is doing it because he is now realizing there isn’t much money in North Dakota and not a lot of outside money that wants to come in,” Gawrylow said.
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