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Driven primarily by continuing record oil production from the Bakken Shale formation, North Dakota’s economy is booming and is on target to produce more than $3.5 billion in tax revenues by the end of the state’s current two-year (2011-2013) fiscal year budget period, according to the state tax commissioner.

Noting that traditional natural gas and coal-fired electric generation plants have to work extra and inefficiently, Colorado-based Bentek Energy’s study, “The Wind Power Paradox,” concludes that the integration of wind-generated supplies on a number of major grid systems in the United States has resulted in “little or no emissions reductions” on a systemwide basis.

Prices continued to fall modestly at a majority of points Friday, but despite the extra decline of industrial load over a holiday weekend, a number of locations mostly in the Northeast were flat to a little more than 90 cents higher because of a revival of colder temperatures during the weekend and through much of the week. Subfreezing lows predicted to begin Saturday in the Northeast caused regional citygates to record the largest upticks.

Is the latter half of January going to be extra-cold (quite bullish) or merely seasonable (somewhat bearish)? A lot of money could be riding on making the best strategic trading choices in such circumstances, and a few traders have indicated that they’re not sure what path to follow.

The bullish effect of a smidgen of extra cooling load and a rare boost from prior-day futures proved to have short effect in raising cash prices. After gains at virtually all points on Monday, flat to slightly higher numbers remained in a moderate majority Tuesday but were being infiltrated by several small losses.

Prices continued to rise by mostly small amounts Tuesday as temperatures tended to increase slightly in most areas and the market got some extra support from a 10.7-cent increase by October futures from a day earlier.

With a little extra backing from the previous Friday’s modest futures rally, cash prices found enough remaining heating load — often accompanied by winter storms — to range from flat to about 20 cents higher at a large majority of points Monday. However, nearly all of the gains were in single digits.

With a little extra backing from the previous Friday’s modest futures rally, cash prices found enough remaining heating load — often accompanied by winter storms — to range from flat to about 20 cents higher at a large majority of points Monday. However, nearly all of the gains were in single digits.

In addition to cold weather continuing to pervade much of North America, the cash market got a little extra boost from the return of industrial load from its usual weekend hiatus in recording higher prices at nearly all points Monday.