USA: Grid United’s proposed North Plains Connector is advancing plans for a major interregional transmission link between Montana and North Dakota.
The project would comprise a 675-km (420-mi), 3 GW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) line and require an estimated $6 B investment across the two states. Completion is not expected before 2032.
Once operational, the line would enable power sharing between three grid regions spanning three US time zones, linking networks across the West, Great Plains and Upper Midwest.
Grid United says the project could improve reliability by allowing regions with different peak-demand periods to support one another. The company is funding early project development while working with utilities that could ultimately pay for portions of the line and receive associated reliability and cost benefits.
The project has also received federal support. In 2024, the US Department of Energy awarded a $700 M grant to a consortium including Grid United and the Montana Department of Commerce.
The DOE has now published a final environmental impact statement for North Plains Connector, marking another step in the project’s development.
Utilities involved include Minnkota Power Cooperative, NorthWestern Energy, Allete Energy, Great River Energy, Portland General Electric and Puget Sound Energy.
The project is intended to allow two-way power flows between regional networks, helping support areas experiencing supply shortfalls without requiring participating utilities to draw power directly from the line’s endpoints.
Source: Canary Media
