U.S. Department of Energy and State of Montana Announce Significant Progress Toward the Construction of an Interregional Electric Transmission Project

On August 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality announced the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed North Plains Connector Project, a 422-mile, 525 kV high-voltage direct current overhead transmission line that will connect the Western and Eastern Interconnections. This milestone advances the federal and state review of a transmission line intended to increase transfer capacity and generation access to meet growing electricity demand in Montana, North Dakota, and nationally.

"Connecting our nation's eastern and western power grids is a critical step toward ensuring long-term energy affordability and reliability for millions of Americans," said Catherine Jereza, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Electricity. "By expanding transmission capacity, we are ensuring that electricity can move where and when it's needed most, supporting communities, mitigating weather-driven outages, and meeting rising energy demand across Montana, North Dakota, and the nation."

By connecting the Western and Eastern Interconnections, the North Plains Connector is expected to significantly improve grid reliability and resilience across the region, ensuring that communities are less vulnerable to outages and enabling them with greater access to reliable power when demand is at its peak. More information is available on DOE's Office of Electricity website here.