North Dakota transmission authority warns EPA rules could threaten grid reliability, urges support for baseload and resilience grants

Jordan Connehion, deputy director at the North Dakota Industrial Commission, told the joint House and Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee on Jan. 22 that studies produced by the North Dakota Transmission Authority (NDTA) show proposed federal air and greenhouse‑gas rules could reduce available generation and threaten the ability of the region’s grids to meet peak demand.

The Transmission Authority, Connehion said, produced engineering studies that the state is using in litigation and in planning discussions with regional transmission organizations. “The EPA rule seeks to cut the allowable mercury content by 10 times. It would decimate the coal industry,” Connehion said, adding that related modeling showed the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) could be unable to meet peak demand by 2029 under that rule.

Why it matters: North Dakota sits in two regional transmission organizations—MISO and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP)—and Connehion said both organizations are raising concerns about declining accredited capacity as more intermittent renewables replace conventional baseload units. Declining accredited capacity, he and other presenters told the committee, can reduce resource…