Public Awareness: Consumer Information
Information by Jurisdiction: Siting Information
The Public Service Commission is statutorily charged with the siting of energy conversion and transmission facilities under the North Dakota Siting Act, which is codified in Chapter 49-22 of the North Dakota Century Code. The purpose of the Siting Act is to ensure that the location, construction, and operation of energy conversion facilities and transmission facilities will produce minimal adverse effects on the environment and upon the welfare of the citizens of this state by providing that no energy conversion facility or transmission facility shall be located, constructed, and operated within this state without a certificate of site compatibility or a route permit issued by the Commission.
The legislature stated that it is the policy of this state to site energy conversion facilities and to route transmission facilities in an orderly manner compatible with environmental preservation and the efficient use of resources. Site and routes should be chosen to minimize adverse human and environmental impact while ensuring continuing system reliability and integrity and ensuring that energy needs are met and fulfilled in an orderly and timely fashion.
For specific information about the siting process and the protections it incorporates, please refer to the Laws, Rules and Guidelines links listed on the left hand side of this page.
- Siting Applications (current as of Jan. 1, 2022) (517 kb pdf)
- North Dakota Wind and Solar Projects (current as of Feb. 2023) (7144kb pdf)
- Siting of Energy Conversion and Transmission Facilities (17kb pdf)
- Model Environmental Siting Ordinances (49kb pdf)
- You Should Know - Energy Conversion and Transmission Facility Siting: PUD-1 (276kb pdf)
- You Should Know - Filing An Informal Complaint (203kb pdf)
- You Should Know - Participation and Process in Major Utility Cases (225kb pdf)
- National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)
- National Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI)
Wind Energy Restoration and Reclamation Oversight Program
The North Dakota Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Public Service Commission, has developed a wind energy restoration and reclamation oversight program connecting landowners and tenants experiencing wind energy reclamation and restoration issues with an independent ombudsman.
The program also provides technical assistance, support and outreach to landowners/tenants. If you are a landowner or tenant and need help with wind energy restoration and reclamation issues, please click here to visit the ND Agriculture Department’s website for more information.
This program was developed under the requirements of North Dakota Century Code 4.1-01-23.
Pipeline Restoration and Reclamation Oversight Program
The North Dakota Department of Agriculture’s pipeline restoration and reclamation oversight program connects landowners and tenants experiencing pipeline reclamation and restoration issues with an independent ombudsman. The ombudsman may investigate or assist with any pipeline not under the PSC’s jurisdiction under title 49, which includes gas or liquid transmission lines. If you are experiencing a reclamation issue with a transmission pipeline that was sited by the PSC, please contact us at 701-328-2400.
The program also provides educational outreach to help landowners/tenants consider things such as pipeline pathways, type of pipeline installation, soil impacts, type of vegetation being reestablished, timelines and other issues before signing agreements. If you are a landowner or tenant and need help with pipeline restoration and reclamation, please click here to visit the ND Agriculture Department’s website for more information.
This program was developed under the requirements of North Dakota Century Code 4.1-01-17.