News Connections

North Dakota’s presidential disaster declaration request from June’s severe storms and tornados has been approved.
The N.D. Department of Emergency Services learned Sept. 11 President Donald Trump approved Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s request, unlocking critical federal assistance to help cover the costs of repairs to public infrastructure and recovery assistance.

“This much-needed disaster aid will help our state’s communities and utilities recover from one of the most powerful summer storms in recent history,” Armstrong said.

• Do not shoot at or near power lines or insulators.

• Familiarize yourself with the location of power lines and equipment on land where you shoot.

• Take notice of warning signs and keep clear of electrical equipment.

• Do not place deer stands on utility poles or climb poles. Energized lines and equipment on the poles can conduct electricity to anyone who comes in contact with them, causing shock or electrocution.

An interim legislative committee tasked with studying the impact of large loads on the electric grid convened for the first time Aug. 27 in Ellendale.

Legislators on the interim Energy Development and Transmission Committee toured the Applied Digital campus in Ellendale and heard presentations from several electric and data center industry professionals and local and state officials.

While the study looks at the impact of all large energy users on the electric system, data centers have emerged as a primary concern.

A new bipartisan bill in Congress would streamline the Federal Emergency Management Agency and speed up delivery of crucial disaster relief funds. The Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act of 2025 also preserves the agency’s Public Assistance (PA) program, which provides critical funding for electric cooperatives to restore power and rebuild their systems after natural disasters.

The N.D. Public Service Commission approved plans Aug. 7 for what will become North Dakota’s largest single power plant. Basin Electric Power Cooperative will invest nearly $4 billion to build a 1,490-megawatt (MW) natural gas-fueled combined-cycle power plant near Epping in Williams County.

The plan calls for two 745-MW units to be built in two sections, with the first generating power in 2029 and the second in 2030. Once completed, it will be one of the largest electric generation projects in Basin Electric’s history.

America’s electric cooperatives are applauding several federal actions that will help co-ops meet the growing power demand and ensure always-available power remains reliable and affordable.
 

Electric cooperative leaders joined President Donald Trump at the White House April 8, as he announced several executive actions aimed at protecting coal-fired power plants and the reliability of the nation’s electric grid. North Dakota’s Basin Electric Power Cooperative CEO and General Manager Todd Brickhouse, Bismarck, and Minnkota Power Cooperative President and CEO Mac McLennan, Grand Forks, were among those in attendance.

In the height of the 1980s farm crisis, Sarah Vogel became a household name in North Dakota. The soft-spoken attorney from Bismarck who took on the U.S. Department of Agriculture and won – righting injustices caused by the Farmers Home Administration when the agency began aggressively foreclosing on farm families without due process – was inducted into the N.D. Agriculture Hall of Fame March 5, after North Dakota Farmers Union (NDFU) nominated her for the prestigious honor.

The North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives presented six awards during its annual meeting Feb. 11, recognizing individuals for their generous contributions to the state’s electric cooperatives and communities they serve. Honorees included:

• Bob Grant – Cooperative Leadership, Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative

• Lauren Klewin – Cooperative Leadership, Slope Electric Cooperative

• Erin Oban – Helping Hand, former USDA Rural Development state director and state senator

Are you a small- or mid-sized farm or food business and looking to expand? Do you need additional equipment, staff time, software or business planning? The Business Builder grant offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture North Central Regional Food Business Center (RFBC) may be able to help.