Industrial Commission awards $1,000,000 in latest Renewable Energy Program grant round

BISMARCK, ND - The North Dakota Industrial Commission, comprised of Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, today approved $1,000,000 in Renewable Energy Program matching grants in the latest round of funding awards. The Renewable Energy Program was established in 2007 to promote research and utilization of North Dakota's renewable energy resources, including advanced biofuels. The grant program is funded solely by oil and gas production tax revenue.

The approved Renewable Energy Program projects include:

• $500,000 to Wellspring Hydro for the "Unlocking Lithium Carbonate in Produced Water for Battery Grade Li2CO3 for In-State Cathode Manufacturing" project

• $500,000 to the University of North Dakota for the "Empowering the Critical Minerals for Novel Cathode Materials-based Drone Batteries" project

Any political subdivision, corporation, partnership, cooperative, association, or consortium of such parties is eligible to apply for Renewable Energy Program funding. Funds are required to be matched by private dollars. The next application submission deadline for the program is to be determined. More information about the program may be found on the Industrial Commission's website at https://www.ndic.nd.gov.