Is Electrification Worth It in North Dakota?

North Dakota is the final exam for cold-climate heat pumps.

Bismarck gets 8,900 heating degree days. -30°F happens multiple times per winter. Natural gas costs $1.05/therm from Bakken production. Electricity runs $0.12/kWh. Ten years ago, I would have said heat pumps don't make sense here. But technology has improved dramatically.

You need a true cold-climate heat pump—Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat or equivalent—with backup heat integration. If you're heating with propane or oil, the savings are massive ($1,500+ per year). With natural gas, it's marginal unless you really care about emissions. This is one of the few states where a high-efficiency gas furnace is still defensible.