Lignite Energy Council

09/01/2026

Powered by People: The future of lignite starts here

Our annual conference is just one week away. If you're a member of the Lignite Energy Council, be sure you're registered and stay up-to-date on one of North Dakota's largest industries.
https://lignite.com/event/annual-meeting/

08/11/2026

Dakota Mornings with Michael Bell is live at our E. Rosser Fill the Bus location with Bismarck Public Schools superintendent Jeff Fastnacht and Lignite Energy Council’s Director of Public Engagement, Retha Mattern.
Special thanks to Tri-Energy Cooperative for sponsoring this great event! Drop your new school supplies or monetary donations off at either the Divide location or E. Rosser Ave! 🚌📚✂️✏️

08/11/2026

Thank you KFYR-TV for the chance to come talk about the Lignite Energy Council, our upcoming conference, and the important role lignite coal plays in powering our communities.

We’re talking about the future opportunities for the industry, ongoing research & development, and how changing regulations impact us. This conference is geared for those currently working in the industry- whether you’re a coal miner, plant operator, or working as a contractor to provide goods and services- as well as those who have retired from a career in coal.

Registration for our conference is open to members at lignite.com/events.

08/04/2026

"Summer heat, winter cold, or record demand, the challenge changes but the need doesn't. North Dakotans can count on lignite to keep the power flowing, day and night, all year."

-Jonathan Fortner, Lignite Energy Council President & CEO

A brutal July heat wave pushed America's power grids to their limits, and delivered a clear lesson about what keeps the lights on when demand peaks.

07/23/2026

And we are underway!

Our annual CoalPAC golf tournament has about 300 golfers this year spread over 3 courses. Thanks to everyone who participated, donated prizes, sponsored, or helped out on our committee. Now, let’s have some fun!

07/22/2026

We are getting ready for our annual CoalPAC golf tournament tomorrow! I hope we have enough water…🥵

Thanks to our committee members for helping with al of the tournament prep today. And thank you to all of our members who sponsored and donated prizes.

Will we see you tomorrow at Painted Woods, Prairie West, or at Hawktree? You just might win one of these awesome door prizes!

07/15/2026

When we talk about the benefits of lignite coal, three adjectives are at the top of the list:

• Affordable.
• Reliable.
• Available.

That’s what matters most when extreme weather conditions hit. Without affordable, reliable, available electricity- people suffer. Extreme heat (and extreme cold) kills. High power bills make staying comfortable a luxury for lower-income families.

The premature retirement of too many baseload power plants puts us all in jeopardy. We’re seeing the real-time results of that with this week’s prolonged high temperatures.

The power grid is under extreme strain right now. There are serious consequences to not taking grid reliability seriously.

Thankfully, in North Dakota, we can count on coal. We’re one of only 4 states that has never violated federal ambient air quality standards set by the EPA. Plant operators have invested billions of dollars into environmental control technologies to remove pollutants. And we’re not done yet.

Coal keeps the lights on.

07/13/2026

As temperatures approach 100° in central North Dakota, fossil fuels continue to serve as the backbone of our electric grid. We’re grateful for the coal miners and power plant workers who are keeping the lights on and a/c running on this hot and windy day. ☀️🔌

07/11/2026

Welcome to Coal Country… one last time! 🤠🎶

It’s the final night of 2026 ND Country Fest, and we can’t wait to welcome you to Coal Country for one more unforgettable evening.

If you’re out enjoying the show, stop by our “Welcome to Coal Country” scrim and snap a photo, and share it with us in the comments below. We might pick a few favorites to receive some Coal Country swag! 🎁

It’s going to be another hot one, so stay hydrated, take care of each other, and have an amazing last night at .

🌾 There's something special about a North Dakota summer spent with good friends and live country music.