DOE report: Blackouts more likely in future over electric grid concerns

BISMARCK, N.D. (KUMV) - North Dakotans could face more blackouts in the future. That comes from a Department of Energy (DOE) report this week.

As it stands today, the electric grid will not be able to keep up with rising demand. The Department of Energy cites data centers as the biggest area of concern.

Whether they are used for cryptocurrency mining, cloud computing or developing artificial intelligence, more data centers are coming. In Williams County alone, there are two more data centers planned, including the already active Atlas Power Data Center. These facilities take a lot of power to generate, putting a lot of strain on the state’s two electric grids: The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO).

Data from the DOE shows that with scheduled plant closures, those with SPP, like most rural electric cooperatives such as Basin Electric and Mountrail Williams, could see more than 100 annual outage hours on average starting in 2030. Those with Montana-Dakota Utilities utilize MISO, which could see around seven to 15 annual outage hours. Even if there were no closures, the SPP remains at risk, estimating between 15 to 30 outage hours.

Some argue this shows a need to focus on fossil fuels.

Renewable energy sources like wind and solar still have weaknesses that make them unreliable in certain weather conditions. That, paired with the significant number of planned plant closures, puts the grid at risk.

Jonathan Fortner, with the Lignite Energy Council, said plant retirements are fueled by financial decisions and the economic preference for renewables. He said he believes provisions in the Big, Beautiful Bill can even the playing field, but more work needs to be done to send a more positive market outlook for those plants.

Concerns about reliability are no secret around here. Utilities like Basin Electric Power Cooperative are already working on projects to increase grid capacity. State lawmakers are conducting studies to see if geothermal and nuclear energy could be feasible in the future. Whether officials are doing enough to avoid problems for the next decade remains to be seen.