ND to get federal funding for three initiatives aimed at improving the power system

Bismarck, North Dakota – The federal government is going to provide millions of dollars in funding for three electric grid projects that include North Dakota.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act created the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, which will allocate $3.46 billion for 58 projects nationwide to improve the resilience and dependability of the nation’s electric grid.

“These awards will help North Dakota write another one of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act success stories. By investing in targeted, cost-effective transmission projects, and proactively upgrading and safeguarding lines from grassland fires, we can help improve grid resilience and affordability for ratepayers,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee.

Funding will be provided to North Dakota for the following projects:

The Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue Transmission Study Process and Portfolio (JTIQ) will receive $464,000,000. The planning, designing, and building of five transmission projects across seven Midwest states is supported by this initiative. The JTIQ Process is a coordinated, long-range, interregional evaluation that examines several projects simultaneously, as opposed to in sequential or disorganized timelines, replacing the conventional interconnection study approach.

The Wildfire Assessment and Resilience for Networks (WARN) Project will get $99,328,430. In high-risk areas, 39 small, rural, not-for-profit electric cooperatives are joining forces with Holy Cross Energy and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Research to initiate a wildfire mitigation project. Additionally, it will give members the ability to strengthen their networks against catastrophic wildfires by installing fire-resistant grid infrastructure, subterranean wires, or modernizing overhead lines.

$50 million will go toward the Minnesota Power HVDC Terminal Expansion Capability Project, which will boost capacity and get the system ready for growth in the future. Improved flexibility and assistance for grid operations will also be provided by the initiative.