Minnesota denied, North Dakota accepted for federal GRIP electric grid funding

(Bismarck, ND) -- The effort to secure and protect the federal government's electric grid resiliency will be getting a big boost from the U.S. Energy Department.  

The Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act in 2021, is expected to reinforce electric grid reliability and stability. The program will use federal funds and private investments to ensure communities have access to reliable power sources that can endure harsh weather conditions. 

Two transmission line projects in North Dakota are part of the nearly 60 projects to receive a share of $3.5 billion to improve the power grid across the country. One transmission line connects Center, North Dakota to Hermantown, Minnesota and the other connects the Bison and Hankinson substations in North Dakota to the Big Stone substation in South Dakota.  

The Minnesota Rural Electric Association says their proposal to fund nearly 300 infrastructure projects across the state was not picked up by the GRIP program.The program selected projects across the country for funding and did not choose the Minnesota project. This is the first round of funding, and only 20-percent of applicants were accepted. The Rural Electric Association says the news is disappointing, but they will work to find ways to make the nearly 300 proposed projects a reality.