Daily Montanan: Montana gets $700M for North Plains Connector Project

The North Plains Connector Interregional Consortium announced Tuesday it will receive a $700 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to help reduce costs for customers and help build a transmission line that connects the eastern and western electric grids in Montana and North Dakota.

The utilities group includes NorthWestern Energy, Montana-Dakota Utilities, and others.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester said the money comes out of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act he supported and his work to boost energy independence and strengthen Montana’s energy grid.

“Montana’s families and small businesses deserve a safe and reliable power grid that keeps pace with our state’s growing needs — and the North Plains Connector project represents a vital investment in our power grid that will benefit our state for years to come,” said Tester, a Montana Democrat, in a statement.

His office said the North Plains Connector representing a 415-mile transmission line is expected to “improve grid resiliency, mitigate the impacts of extreme weather and accommodate the growing demand for electricity.”

Gov. Greg Gianforte also praised the award from the Department of Energy. He thanked the Montana Department of Commerce for making the project a priority and said it will help upgrade transmission infrastructure to power homes, schools and businesses.

“Access to a steady supply of affordable and reliable energy is critical for communities across Montana and the United States,” said Gianforte, a Republican.

The Montana Department of Commerce applied for the grant on behalf of the North Plains Connector Interregional Innovation Consortium, according to a news release from ALLETE, one of the project developers.

The funds represent a portion of the estimated $3.6 billion cost of the project, the Governor’s Office said. His office said the North Plains Connector will link three regional control entities and, according to the DOE, create up to 3,800 megawatts of new capacity and increase “transfer capacity.”

Transfer capacity can boost supply and help stabilize the grid during extreme weather.

The news release from the Governor’s Office said the funds are made available from the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program through the DOE.

Tester’s office noted that he secured $26 million in October to help protect Montana’s energy grid from wildfire and $14 million in September to protect the grid from fires and extreme weather, also through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

On its website, the North Plains Connector said it is in the development phase of the project and is preparing a proposed route to include in regulatory filings, which it expects to initiate in fall 2024 and to include “rigorous environmental review” pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and state and local review.

The North Plains Connector project earlier said if it can get permits secured and construction underway in 2026, the line could be operational by 2031.