Lesson 2: Economic Impact of the Lignite Industry

Energy production from lignite strongly influences North Dakota’s economy. In addition to producing low cost electricity for ND residents, over 12,000 people are employed by the lignite mining, electrical generation and transmission/distribution industries. Thousands of secondary jobs are created by the businesses, schools and other infrastructure supporting the industry and its workers. Move to the next page to see a snapshot of the economic impact of the lignite industry.