Grid United is the primary developer of North Plains Connector. Grid United is an independent transmission company developing the infrastructure needed to create a more resilient and efficient electric system to the benefit of all consumers.
North Plains Connector will extend between an existing substation in Colstrip, Montana, to two separate connections in North Dakota – one near the town of Center, and the other near St. Anthony.
North Plains Connector gathered stakeholder feedback and survey data before submitting a proposed route for regulatory approval in the third quarter of 2024. The route will remain “proposed” until it receives approval from, state, and federal regulatory bodies.
The route is on both private and public lands.
By utilizing direct current technology, North Plains Connector can instantaneously send electricity along its route in either direction, east or west. North Plains Connector can serve to balance the electricity needs in the Western and Eastern Interconnections by transmitting electricity when and where it is needed.
Transmission line construction and maintenance of the towers and converter sites require a combination of temporary and permanent access roads. These roads were identified during the landowner consultation phase.
Construction crews will typically access the right-of-way from public roads that intersect or are adjacent to the right-of-way. Once an access road is established, construction will follow the right-of-way to the next access road location, which will preferably be located at the next public road crossing. In some instances, depending on topography or other environmental conditions, off-right-of-way access may be needed to facilitate construction or maintenance of the line.
North Plains Connector will be open to transmitting electrical power of all generation sources. Regulations governing the grid require the project to carry electricity without preference for any energy source.
America’s electric grid, originally built in the early 20th century, powered the United States’ rise as an economic powerhouse. Today, however, 70% of our power lines are over 30 years old, and the way power is generated and where energy resources are located have evolved. Aging infrastructure, increasing energy demand, the critical need for energy security, and more frequent weather-related power disruptions demand immediate action to strengthen and modernize our grid.
North Plains Connector’s high-capacity, bidirectional connection between regional generation and transmission hubs is designed to improve nationwide grid reliability and resiliency. The line will increase transfer capacity and access to generation in new energy.
North Plains Connector (NPC) partnered with the Montana Community Foundation and North Dakota Community Foundation to establish the NPC Community Investment Program. This grant program helps address community needs in the counties through which North Plains Connector is being developed.
Funding for the Community Investment Program (CIP) is distributed through two grant cycles per year, and grant dollars are allocated based on the length of line sited in each county. 501(c)(3) nonprofits and government entities are eligible to apply. If there are non-profits that support North Dakota or Montana communities in our project area that you would like to see us support, please encourage them to submit a grant application here: northplainsconnector.com/community-investment-program/
North Plains Connector is coordinating with utilities for long-term operation and maintenance of the transmission line.
The design life of a direct current (DC) converter station is typically 40 years, but the operations of existing DC lines reveal that they are operated safely and reliably well beyond this standard time frame.
North Plains Connector anticipates three to six structures per mile, with 900 to 1,600 feet between each structure. Structure height will typically range from 110 to 160 feet; the exact height depends on variables such as engineering requirements and topography. Structures could exceed 160 feet—but not 195 feet—in instances that require longer spans, such as river or canyon crossings, existing transmission line crossings, or complex terrain.
Transmission line construction typically involves the following steps:
Construction for North Plains Connector transmission line will take approximately three years. Certain land use practices will be restricted while construction is taking place, such as excavations or topographic changes. When construction is complete, North Plains Connector will restore the easement area to its original condition, at which point landowners can resume normal use according to the terms laid out in the executed easement agreement.
Please watch this video for additional information on the transmission line construction process.
The North Plains Connector team has developed a construction, mitigation, and reclamation plan (CMRP) that includes weed control procedures. The methods for weed control will be reviewed during the permitting process and will be approved by state regulatory agencies in coordination with county officials and landowners.
All restoration activities will be coordinated with appropriate landowners. Restoration may include replacing topsoil and reseeding to bring areas of land disturbed during construction back to their normal contour. Any topsoil that is removed during construction would be stored then used during site restoration after construction work is completed.
Reseeding will occur in compliance with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Landowners will have the option to provide a specified seed mix.
North Plains Connector continues to advance several permitting or regulatory processes and associated environmental review, outlined below. Each process may include a public participation process, and interested parties may receive advance notices. North Plains Connector expects to complete environmental reviews and receive required permits by the end of 2026.
North Plains Connector is conducting the following surveys across the project area:
State and federal permitting processes will identify the social, economic, and environmental impacts attributable to the construction and operation of the project. North Plains Connector seeks to minimize impacts to the natural, cultural, and human environment through agency, local, and Tribal Nation consultation, along with resource surveys and expert planning.
North Plains Connector coordinates with Tribal Nations early during the development process and takes an inclusive view of Tribal Nations’ rights, including working to understand the spectrum of place-based interests of Tribal Nations.
North Plains Connector respects each Tribal Nation as a sovereign whole, and as such recognizes the contemporary and historical boundaries of the many Tribal Nations in the Northern Plains and Rocky Mountains area, regardless of territory. North Plains Connector understands there is more than one community and respects the sovereignty and self-determination of Tribal Nations over their land, people, and resources.
North Plains Connector engaged a team of experts to perform a robust review of Treaty areas and ancestral territories. Based on this analysis, North Plains identified 21 Tribal Nations as having a potential interest in cultural resources in the project area and has been coordinating with them since 2022 on cultural surveys and project routing.
North Plains Connector proposes employing Tribal Monitors and Environmental Inspectors during the construction process. Tribal Monitors would monitor initial ground disturbance activities in the vicinity of known, Tribal Nation- identified sites, in support of proposed avoidance or minimization measures.
North Plains Connector was sited to avoid and minimize waterbody crossings to the extent practicable. North Plains Connector will cross both flowing waters, such as streams and rivers, and non-flowing waters, including lakes and ponds, in both North Dakota and Montana. Some waterbodies crossed include the Tongue and Powder Rivers in Montana, and the Heart, Cannonball, and Little Missouri Rivers in North Dakota; most waterbodies crossed are intermittent streams.
North Plains Connector proposes to install best management practices to prevent impacts to stream flow, wetland fill, and water quality impacts. Best management practices include waterbody crossing avoidance, properly sized culverts, low water body crossings, and construction matting, among others.
Yes, and North Plains Connector welcomes additional opportunities to partner with Tribal Nations. Please contact us through a North Plains Connector Tribal Engagement representative or by email at info@northplainsconnector.com.
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