Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota
In Regular Session Commencing Tuesday, January 7, 2025
HOUSE BILL NO. 1579
(Representatives Novak, Porter, Heinert)
(Senators Kessel, Patten)
AN ACT to provide for a legislative management study relating to the impact of large energy consumers
on the state's electrical grid.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
SECTION 1. LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT STUDY - IMPACT OF LARGE ENERGY
CONSUMERS ON THE ELECTRICAL GRID.
1.During the 2025-26 interim, the legislative management shall study the impact of large energy
consumers, including data centers, on the electrical grid of this state, regulatory structure, and
economic development. The study must include an evaluation of the:
a.Electrical grid reliability and infrastructure requirements within the state, including the
capacity of the electrical grid, necessary upgrades to accommodate large energy
consumers, the cost of necessary upgrades to accommodate large energy consumers,
how the cost of necessary upgrades to accommodate large energy consumers are
allocated, effects of congestion on the electrical grid caused by increased development,
and best practices for integrating high-demand users while maintaining reliability for all
ratepayers;
b.Regulatory consistency throughout the state, including an assessment of the manner in
which state and local laws and regulations impact large energy consumers, whether the
certificate of public convenience and necessity process is appropriate for private-sector
end users, and whether regulatory inconsistencies exist between investor-owned utilities,
rural electric cooperatives, municipal power providers, and independent power
producers;
c.Economic impacts affecting the energy industry of the state, including an assessment of
job creation, tax revenue generation, and long-term investment trends tied to data center
development and other large energy consumers;
d.Market dynamics of the local and national energy industry, including the role of demand-
side management, local versus regional energy market participation, and the ability of
large consumers to support grid stability through off-peak consumption or other
grid-supportive practices;
e.Costs and impacts of all regulated and exempted public utilities, including best reporting
practices; and
f.Regulatory and exemption criteria relating to load size, system integration, application
processes, impacts to consumers and access to the regional grid systems, electrical
generation sources, the feasibility of colocated backup generators at various facilities,
and generation sources, including legacy electric generation units.
2.The study must include input from representatives of:
a.Data center operators and other large energy consumers operating or considering
investment in the state; H. B. NO. 1579 - PAGE 2
b.Investor-owned utilities, rural electric cooperatives, municipal power providers, and
independent power producers;
c.The public service commission;
d.The lignite energy council;
e.The North Dakota transmission authority;
f.Regional transmission organizations;
g.The petroleum council; and
h.Any other relevant state or federal agency.
3.The legislative management shall report its findings and recommendations, together with any
legislation required to implement the recommendations, to the seventieth legislative assembly. H. B. NO. 1579 - PAGE 3
____________________________ ____________________________
Speaker of the House President of the Senate
____________________________ ____________________________
Chief Clerk of the House Secretary of the Senate
This certifies that the within bill originated in the House of Representatives of the Sixty-ninth Legislative
Assembly of North Dakota and is known on the records of that body as House Bill No. 1579.
House Vote: Yeas 89 Nays 3 Absent 1
Senate Vote:Yeas 46 Nays 0 Absent 1
____________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Received by the Governor at ________M. on _____________________________________, 2025.
Approved at ________M. on __________________________________________________, 2025.
____________________________
Governor
Filed in this office this ___________day of _______________________________________, 2025,
at ________ o’clock ________M.
____________________________
Secretary of State