The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced this week (Aug. 12, 2026) that is has stopped the process that could’ve led to the creation of three electric transmission corridors– one of which would’ve run through South Dakota– as part of a Biden Administration plan looking to lower the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.
Deputy Under Secretary of Energy Mike Kopp was at Pierre Wednesday (Aug. 12, 2026) to discuss why DOE has stopped the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors– or NIETCs.
Kopp said the majority of the feedback received about the NIETCs was negative.
Along with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, the South Dakota Farm Bureau submitted comments against the NIETC plan. State Farm Bureau President Scott Vanderwal– who also serves as the vice-president of the American Farm Bureau Federation– said property rights were at the heart of their opposition to the proposal.
Kopp said the Trump Administration DOE understands the nation’s electrical transmission system needs to be strengthened.
The Tribal Energy Access Corridor would’ve been primarily located in central South Dakota, reaching five Tribal Reservations, and also included a short section in central North Dakota with a slightly longer section in central Nebraska. The other two corridors canceled were the Lake Erie–Canada Corridor and the Southwestern Grid Connector Corridor.
Mike Kopp,
Photo credit to Jody Heemstra, DRG Media.
Scott Vanderwal.
Photo credit to Jody Heemstra, DRG Media.
U.S. Department of Energy image.
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