Helena Independent Record: Montana, N.D. energy grid project awarded $700M

Officials heralded a $700 million grant award announced Tuesday for a major energy transmission project underway across Montana and North Dakota. 

The U.S. Department of Energy grant will bridge a portion of the $3.6 billion cost of building out the North Plains Connector project intended to link the country’s eastern and western energy grids via 415 miles of line between Colstrip and Center, North Dakota. 

“Access to a steady supply of affordable and reliable energy is critical for communities across Montana and the United States,” Gov. Greg Gianforte said in a statement Tuesday. “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 Montana Department of Commerce secured the grant from the DOE Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program, which sets out to strengthen energy grids against extreme weather and climate change. 

The DOE Tuesday announcement included $2.2 billion in investments for the country’s grid for eight projects across 18 states. 

That grant program is funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Montana’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester helped negotiate. 

Grid United, headquartered in Texas, is co-developing the project with Allete of Minnesota. The project is expected to create over 600 jobs during construction. 

“This project will create good-paying jobs in eastern Montana, protect our energy grid from natural disaster and expand our energy portfolio to lower energy costs for Montanans and ensure our economy remains competitive against foreign adversaries like China,” Tester said in a statement.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, in a press release from Gianforte’s office, applauded the grant award.

“North Dakota welcomes this investment in transmission infrastructure to ensure a resilient and reliable power grid,” Burgum said. “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. 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.”

The announcement comes roughly a week after the Department of Energy awarded the state Commerce Department with $47.5 million for Rosebud, Custer and Fallon counties, as well as the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, for grant-funded mitigation efforts in the North Plains Connector project’s wake.