Prairie Research Institute engineers are leading a $29.8 million U.S. Department of Energy-funded project to modernize an aging stretch of power lines in rural North Dakota.

Once complete, the project will improve safety, efficiency, and access to electricity for residents and neighboring tribal communities. Construction is expected to begin in 2028.

“Our project will replace a 54-mile stretch of roughly 80-year-old, weathered, steel-core transmission line with an advanced technology,” said lead engineer Les Gioja, a researcher at PRI’s Illinois Sustainable Technology Center. “This investment will increase capacity, safety, and resilience, within the existing right-of-way, for communities and rural users who rely on it.”

In addition to improving conditions for existing users and bringing much-needed capacity to tribal communities in the area, the project will demonstrate the technology for similar upgrades in other regions across the country.

PRI is partnering on the project with regional energy supplier Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. and Slope Electric Cooperative, overseen by Innovative Energy Alliance Cooperative, a group of four independent electric cooperatives. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. will own the new transmission lines upon project completion.

“We have successfully collaborated many times with industry partners, cooperatives, utilities, and communities nationwide to help them modernize their energy systems by applying our expertise and partnerships with state-of-the-art technology suppliers,” ISTC engineer Sebastiano Giardinella said.

The technology improvements include replacing steel-core transmission lines with advanced carbon-core conductor transmission lines, the addition of optical ground wire and a smart grid system, and substation upgrades. These improvements will:

• increase the transmission capacity in the existing right-of-way by nearly 10 times;
• improve coordination with renewable energy producers;
• provide faster isolation of arc faults, reducing wildfire risk;
• make lines more resilient to adverse weather and reduce outages;
• make the grid more secure and responsive;
• increase energy efficiency; and
• allow for regional development.

Enhanced potential for economic development, renewable generation, demand growth, and opportunities for professional training and jobs are among the downstream benefits for the rural region.

The five-year, $29.8 million project received $14.9 million from the energy department’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program. It aims “to enhance grid flexibility and improve the resilience of the power system against growing pressures from aging infrastructure, increased load demand, evolving cybersecurity threats, and the rising frequency of disruptive events.”

“This project encapsulates the U.S. Department of Energy’s goals through this program — to modernize our nation’s energy infrastructure and make it more resilient,” Giardinella said. “The Prairie Research Institute has a track record of leading federally sponsored research and infrastructure modernization projects. We’re excited to get to work to assist our partners in making these critical improvements and to demonstrate the value of the technology for future grid upgrades across the country.”

The Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides scientific expertise and transformative research to the people of Illinois and beyond. PRI is home to the five state scientific surveys: the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois State Water Survey, and Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.

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