Community Benefits Snapshot: North Plains Connector Transmission Line Community Engagement and Benefits

The North Plains Connector (NPC) is a proposed 420-mile, 525 kilovolt high-voltage direct current transmission line designed to connect the western and eastern electricity grids between eastern Montana and central North Dakota. Developed by North Plains Connector LLC (a subsidiary of Grid United), the project aims to add 3,000 megawatts of bi-directional transfer capacity to improve reliability and economic benefits across the US. The project is distinguished by a "landowner-first" engagement strategy, avoiding eminent domain and modifying its route by adding 50 miles to accommodate local preferences, thereby reducing community opposition.

• The North Plains Connector (NPC) is a 420-mile transmission project connecting Colstrip, Montana, to St. Anthony and Center, North Dakota, with an estimated investment of $3.2 billion. It is designed to add 3,000 megawatts of bi-directional transfer capacity between the western and eastern electricity grids, which will increase the Effective Load Carrying Capability (ELCC) for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), Southwest Power Pool (SPP), and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC).
• NPC LLC adopted a "landowner-first approach" to siting, which involved direct negotiations with landowners to find the least impactful areas for development. This flexibility resulted in a "zigzagging" route that added 50 miles to the original length—a roughly 14% increase—potentially increasing costs by $35-$50 million, but reducing project opposition.
• The developer committed to not using eminent domain to acquire land, choosing instead to use voluntary agreements and negotiations. Local stakeholders, including county commissioners, indicated that the use of eminent domain would likely have turned their support for the project into opposition.
• NPC LLC has provided community benefits through a combination of direct grants and the facilitation of federal funding. The company distributed $2.1 million in North Dakota and $1.8 million in Montana via community foundations, allowing local committees to choose beneficiaries. Additionally, NPC LLC helped local governments secure over $62 million in Transmission Siting and Economic Development (TSED) grants from the DOE, including $47.5 million for the Montana Department of Commerce and $15 million for the towns of Mott and Amidon.
• The project includes voluntary engagement with over 23 Tribal Nations and creates specific economic opportunities for Native-owned energy. Specifically, the NPC will enable the SAGE Development Authority, owned by the Standing Rock Sioux, to develop and export an additional 165 MW of wind energy beyond its current 235 MW capacity.
• To support local employment, NPC LLC projects the employment of 800 workers during construction and has proposed training programs for commercial drivers licenses (CDL) and line workers at Highlands College in Butte, Montana, and Bismarck State College in North Dakota. It is also partnering with United Tribes Technical College to create certificates in environmental inspection, tribal survey and monitoring, and CDLs.

APA

World Resources Institute (2025). Community Benefits Snapshot: North Plains Connector Transmission Line Community Engagement and Benefits. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/community-benefits-snapshot-north-plains-connector-transmission-line-community-engagement

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Community Benefits Snapshot: North Plains Connector Transmission Line Community Engagement and Benefits. 2025. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/community-benefits-snapshot-north-plains-connector-transmission-line-community-engagement.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Community Benefits Snapshot: North Plains Connector Transmission Line Community Engagement and Benefits |date=5 March 2025 |url=https://www.wri.org/snapshots/community-benefits-snapshot-north-plains-connector-transmission-line-community-engagement |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2025community, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Community Benefits Snapshot: North Plains Connector Transmission Line Community Engagement and Benefits}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://www.wri.org/snapshots/community-benefits-snapshot-north-plains-connector-transmission-line-community-engagement}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }