Industrial Commission awards more than $4.8M in funding through Lignite Research Program

BISMARCK, ND - The North Dakota Industrial Commission approved more than $4.8 million in Lignite Research Program grants for three projects that received a funding recommendation from the Lignite Research Council, the 26-member council that supports the Industrial Commission in the administration of the grant program.

The Lignite Research, Marketing and Development program was created in 1987 and has invested over $100 million in more than 250 projects supporting the North Dakota lignite industry since its inception. Funding for the program is generated from lignite severance tax, as well as oil and gas production tax revenue.

The Lignite Research Council held a meeting Nov. 18 in Bismarck to review grant proposals and make funding recommendations. Approved proposals were advanced to the Industrial Commission for consideration of final approval. The Commission is comprised of Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring.

The Commission approved the following projects:

• $3,316,695 to the Lignite Energy Council for the "Enhance, Preserve and Protect the North Dakota Lignite Industry" project
• $1.1 million to the University of North Dakota for the "Pilot Expansion and Testing for Improving Lignite Fuels and REE Processing" project
• $400,000 to Microbeam Technologies Inc. for the "Efficient Refining of Germanium Metal from Fly Ash-Derived Concentrates" project

"Low-cost baseload power from North Dakota lignite remains a cornerstone of our economy," said the Commission in a joint statement. "Through state-industry partnerships, North Dakota continues to be a world leader in developing technologies that create diverse new uses of our abundant energy resources."

The next grant application submission deadline for the Lignite Research Program is April 1, 2026. Additional program information may be found on the Industrial Commission's website at https://www.ndic.nd.gov.

Additional information at the following link: