HELENA, MT – Governor Greg Gianforte and the Montana Department of Commerce on Aug 6th, announced the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded the State of Montana up to $700 million to enhance power grid reliability in Montana and North Dakota.

“Access to a steady supply of affordable and reliable energy is critical for communities across Montana and the United States,” Gov. 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 funds, made available by the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, are administered by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office to ensure communities across Montana have access to affordable, reliable energy. These funds represent just a portion of the estimated $3.6 billion price tag for the total project, known as the North Plains Connector, which extends across Montana and North Dakota.

“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,” Gov. 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%.

In July, the Montana Department of Commerce announced it had been awarded $47.5 million from DOE for projects in Rosebud, Custer, and Fallon counties, as well as the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, to help mitigate the impact of construction of the North Plains Connector transmission line. Eligible projects will include infrastructure updates, such as roads, water, sewers, emergency services, and other projects related to workforce and infrastructure development.

Increasing access to affordable and reliable energy for all Montanans is a top priority for Gov. Gianforte.