Amy Sisk

The shale oil boom attracted thousands of oil workers to North Dakota, sending the population of some small towns soaring. In response, communities built up infrastructure projects — new wastewater facilities, schools, etc. But now they're facing hundreds of millions of dollars of debt that will take decades to pay off, not to mention continued uncertainty over whether they've built too much as they watch the boom-bust cycle of the oil patch.

As renewables make up a bigger share of the nation's energy grid, some worry about blackouts when the wind doesn't blow. But grid operators say they're getting better at balancing energy resources.

An Obama administration decision to suspend construction on a controversial oil pipeline in North Dakota is a game changer for efforts to protect tribal lands, officials say.