WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, who serves as a member of the Senate Energy Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after Senate confirmation of former Texas Governor Rick Perry to serve as U.S. Secretary of Energy:

"As the former governor of Texas, Rick Perry understands that we need an all-of-the-above, states-first approach to developing our energy resources. He also recognizes North Dakota's prominent role in providing our nation with affordable energy, which is why I've invited him to our state. We want him to see firsthand the innovative work we're doing. We look forward to working closely with Secretary Perry to help us develop and commercialize technologies, like the Allam Cycle and Project Tundra, which promise to provide a true path forward for clean coal technology."

At a confirmation hearing for Perry in January, Hoeven stressed the importance of new technology in producing more energy with better environmental stewardship. The senator highlighted the work of the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota (UND) as well as two carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects in the state:

· Allam Cycle – a next-generation pilot and demonstration project being developed by Basin Electric and Allete Inc. to reduce CO2 emissions and increase efficiency in new coal-fired and natural gas power plants.

· Project Tundra – an advanced scrubbing technology project to retrofit existing plants to capture CO2, which can then be sequestered or used in enhanced oil recovery, making the facilities viable into the future.

–Senator Hoeven