$700M to Boost North Dakota Regional Power Grid Capacity

(KNOX) -North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum today welcomed the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) announcement that it has awarded Montana up to $700 million to enhance power grid capacity and reliability in Montana and North Dakota.

The funds from the DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program will support development of the North Plains Connector, an estimated $3.6 billion project that will construct a 3,000-megawatt High-Voltage Direct Current Voltage Source Converter (HVDC-VSC) transmission line from Center, N.D., to Colstrip, Mont.

“North Dakota welcomes this investment in transmission infrastructure to ensure a resilient and reliable power grid. Still, in order to meet growing consumer demand for electricity and support economic expansion, we need to add transmission capacity AND build upon our existing baseload generation – not try to shut it down,” Burgum said. “The North Plains Connector project will create a critical link between electricity markets and regions, support our all-of-the-above energy approach and contribute to national energy security. We’re grateful to the North Dakota Transmission Authority and all the partners supporting this investment.”

The North Plains Connector will connect three regional control entities: the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), and Southwest Power Pool (SPP). According to DOE, the project will create up to 3,800 megawatts of new capacity and increase transfer capacity between WECC and the Eastern Interconnection in Montana and North Dakota by 1,400%.

“Access to a steady supply of affordable and reliable energy is critical for communities across Montana and the United States,” Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said. “Through this investment, we’re upgrading and modernizing Montana’s electrical transmission infrastructure to power our homes, schools and businesses. I’m grateful to the Montana Department of Commerce for making this a top priority.”

The North Dakota Industrial Commission, acting in its capacity as the North Dakota Transmission Authority, issued a letter of support for Montana’s GRIP application. The Industrial Commission consists of Burgum as chair, Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring.