This novel power line could link 3 grids across 3 time zones

A company called Grid United is planning a major new power line, called North Plains Connector, that would run 420 miles between Montana and North Dakota. What makes it unusual is that it would link three separate regional power grids covering the West, the Great Plains, and the Upper Midwest, which today mostly operate on their own. The project would cost an estimated $6 billion and, if approved, would not be finished before 2032.

The idea is that connecting grids in different time zones lets them share power when demand peaks at different times, which can improve reliability during storms, heat waves, or power plant outages. A group of utilities, including some in Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington state, are backing the project because they expect to benefit from that added flexibility even if they are not directly connected to the line. The U.S. Department of Energy has supported the project with a $700 million grant and recently completed a required environmental review, helping ease the way through state approvals in Montana and North Dakota.

There is no direct action for homeowners here. The project still needs land agreements, permits, and final approval from both states, and similar large transmission projects have taken more than a decade to complete, or have been cancelled outright. If it does eventually get built, it could mean a more resilient regional power supply, but that outcome is still years away and far from certain.