ND receiving federal funds for three electric grid improvement projects - KFYR
ND receiving federal funds for three electric grid improvement projects
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - Three electric grid projects that involve North Dakota will be receiving millions of dollars in federal funding.
The Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, established through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will be distributing a total of $3.46 billion for 58 projects across the country to strengthen electric grid resilience and reliability.
“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.
North Dakota will receive funding for projects as follows:
$464,000,000 for the Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue Transmission Study Process and Portfolio (JTIQ). This project supports the planning, design, and construction of five transmission projects across seven Midwest states. The JTIQ Process replaces the traditional interconnection study approach with a coordinated, long-range, interregional assessment that studies multiple projects at once, rather than in sequential or uncoordinated timelines.
$99,328,430 for the Wildfire Assessment and Resilience for Networks (WARN) Project – Holy Cross Energy, in conjunction with National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Research, is launching a wildfire mitigation project with a consortium of 39 small, rural, not-for-profit electric co-ops in high-threat areas. It will also enable members to harden their networks by deploying fire-resistant grid infrastructure, undergrounding lines, or upgrading overhead lines to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires and to increase wildfire resilience.
$50,000,000 for the Minnesota Power HVDC Terminal Expansion Capability Project which will increase capacity to prepare the system for future expansion. The project will also provide enhanced grid operations support and flexibility.
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