Grand Forks pipeline construction plans face setback after application errors

BISMARCK, N.D. (KUMV) - A pipeline project aiming to bring natural gas from Minnesota to eastern North Dakota is facing a delay.

In 2021, North Dakota legislators approved $10 million for the state’s industrial commission to build a 14-mile pipeline that would supply the area with gas from Minnesota’s Viking Pipeline. State Pipeline Authority Director Justin Kringstad said they discovered errors in an application last month that need to be corrected before awarding the funds.

“They were missing some substantial amounts of contracts, and so the numbers were no longer good. My major concern right now is without that segment being built under the river, they would not have adequate capacity to meet the needs of existing contracts,” said Kringstad.

North Dakota Legislators also approved $140 million for an east-west natural gas pipeline, but there have been no applications submitted for it.