DOE and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) issue a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and announce five public scoping meetings.
October 25, 2024
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DOE and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Issue a Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Announce Five Public Scoping Meetings
On October 25, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Deployment Office (GDO) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and Agricultural Research Service (ARS), jointly issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact State (EIS) for the North Plains Connector Project (NPC). The NPC is a proposed 525-kV, high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) overhead transmission line that would provide 3,000 megawatts (MW) of bi-directional transfer capability and connect the Western and Eastern Interconnections. As proposed, the NPC extends approximately 420 miles from near Colstrip, Montana, to two separate end points in North Dakota: one near Center, North Dakota, and the other near St. Anthony, North Dakota.
More information on the NPC can be found on DOE’s website.
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), DOE will host five public scoping meetings to assess the environmental effects of siting, constructing, operating, and maintaining the NPC.
Four of the meetings will be in-person, and one will be virtual to accommodate more attendees. Registration is required for the virtual meeting, and the meeting will be recorded and posted to DOE’s website afterward.
Interested parties are invited to participate in the public scoping meetings to learn more about the NPC and DOE’s environmental review process, as well as submit formal comments on the proposed project. Personnel from DOE, BLM, USFS, and ARS will be available for informal discussions. However, DOE will not accept oral comments during the scoping meetings.
Meeting Schedule:
| Meeting Format | Date | Time | Location | Venue |
| In Person | Wednesday, November 6 | 4-7 pm CT | Mandan, ND | Venue Twenty5 3796 ND HWY 25 Mandan, ND 58554 |
| In Person | Thursday, November 7 | 6-9 pm MT | Dickinson, ND | Astoria Event Center 363 15 St W Dickinson, ND 58601 |
| In Person | Tuesday, November 12 | 4-7 pm MT | Miles City, MT | Custer County Event Center 42 Garryowen Road RC Miles City, MT 59301 |
| In Person | Wednesday, November 13 | 6-9 pm MT | Colstrip, MT | Colstrip City Hall 12 Cherry Street Colstrip, MT 59323 |
| Virtual | Tuesday, November 19 | 12-3 pm MT | Webex | Register for the virtual meeting |
Interested parties can also submit comments on the NPC via:
- Email (preferred): northplainsconnector@hq.doe.gov
- Mail: Please address your mail to:
- Ms. Rebecca Boyle
NEPA Document Manager
Grid Deployment Office
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave SW, Suite 4H-065
Washington, DC 20585
- Ms. Rebecca Boyle
All comments must be submitted in a written format, either by email or mail. Comments are due by 11:59 pm MT on December 9, 2024.
While DOE cannot guarantee consideration of comments received or postmarked after December 9, late comments will be considered to the extent practicable.