Recent announcements in the region brought important news affecting North Dakota’s agriculture and energy industries, the top industries in the state.

The sale of Great River Energy’s (GRE) Coal Creek Station near Underwood to Rainbow Energy Center LLC cleared its final regulatory hurdle earlier this month when the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved the transfer of GRE’s high-voltage, direct-current transmission system to Nexus Line.

“This approval is a momentous step toward Rainbow Energy taking ownership of Coal Creek Station and providing a long-term future for the power plant, its workers and the communities supported by the hundreds of jobs at Coal Creek and nearby Falkirk Mine,” said Gov. Doug Burgum.

He pointed out it also offers North Dakota the opportunity to further prove this state can be a national and world leader in carbon capture, storage and utilization through its continued focus on innovation over regulation.

Another recent announcement pertaining to GRE is its partnership with Apex Clean Energy in creating the single largest wind project in North Dakota. GRE will receive renewable energy from the 400-megawatt Discovery Wind project in McLean County.

In southwest Ward County another major project, this one in the agriculture industry, now is a reality.

Tri-Gen Ag Partners LLC is a newly formed LLC, consisting of Agrex Inc. of Minneapolis and a cooperative consisting of Plaza-Makoti-Equity Elevator merging with Max Farmers Elevator.

On Friday, Jan. 14, the first Canadian-Pacific Railway train with 110 cars arrived at the new shuttle grain terminal in Ryder. There, grain from Plaza-Makoti Equity Elevator and Max Farmers Elevator was transferred earlier and then loaded on the rail cars.

A week later on Jan. 21, the first farmer’s load of grain came to the shuttle grain terminal from Heer Farms in Douglas.

The City of Minot also recently agreed to loan $1.56 million to a subsidiary of the Minot Area Chamber EDC to purchase city-owned land used for an intermodal facility. The agreement is one piece in MACEDC’s effort to acquire all intermodal assets to provide a clear title and clean slate for a new intermodal operator.

Projects like these are important steps in economic impact and development in this region but also impacting the state and even beyond the borders.