North Dakota: every permit portal for solar, wind, and storage
The quick find: which office handles each approval a utility-scale project touches in North Dakota, with the agency's own page. Counties and cities add their own land-use approvals; the state table is the part that is the same across the state.
State and grid
| Approval | Where to go |
|---|---|
| State siting or certificateWhether the state itself approves where a generating facility goes, or leaves it to counties and cities. | Energy conversion facilities 50 MW+ and wind facilities 0.5 MW+ (N.D.C.C. ch. 49-22)North Dakota Public Service Commission |
| Grid interconnectionThe queue the project enters to connect: the regional grid operator, or the utility and public utility commission outside an RTO. | MISO (eastern ND) or SPP (western ND) interconnectionMidcontinent ISO / Southwest Power Pool |
| Construction stormwater permitNPDES coverage for land disturbance of one acre or more, before earthwork starts. | NDPDES Construction Stormwater General Permit Statement of BasisNorth Dakota Department of Environmental Quality |
| Historic preservation reviewSection 106 consultation through the State Historic Preservation Office when a federal permit, federal funding or federal land is involved; many states add their own review on state land. | Review and ComplianceState Historical Society of North Dakota (SHPO)Section 106 and state review and compliance procedures for projects affecting cultural resources. |
| Wildlife and habitat reviewThe state wildlife agency's project screening or natural-heritage data request; federal species go through USFWS IPaC. | Environmental ReviewNorth Dakota Game and Fish DepartmentProject environmental review requests for wildlife and habitat impacts, including wind and solar. |
| State road access and utility permitsA driveway onto a state highway, and a gen-tie or cable in state right of way. | Utility Permit Information (state highway right-of-way)North Dakota Department of TransportationConfirmed 'Utility Permit Information' page (SFN 7995 utility permit form, utility accommodation policy). Approach/access permits are not covered on this page and no approach-permit page surfaced in the one search. |
| Floodplain (state NFIP coordinator)Local floodplain development permits are county or city; the state coordinator lists who administers them. | Floodplain Management Certification (Counties)North Dakota Department of Water Resources |
| Water rights and wellsConstruction water, dust control and O&M wells: the state engineer, water board or environmental agency. | Water Permits (Water Appropriation)North Dakota Department of Water ResourcesConditional water permits for appropriation of surface and ground water, including construction and industrial use. |
| Property-tax incentive programState abatement or exemption programs for renewable generation, where one exists. | Property Not Assessed by Local Assessors (Centrally Assessed)North Dakota Office of State Tax CommissionerGuideline covering centrally assessed wind generation property and its reduced valuation/in-lieu treatment under NDCC 57-06 and 57-33.2. |
Federal portals (the same in every state)
| Approval | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Clean Water Act Section 404 / Rivers and Harbors Act Section 10 | U.S. Army Corps of EngineersRegulatory Request System: applications, pre-application meetings and jurisdictional determinations; the district office is by watershed. |
| Endangered species and critical habitat | U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceIPaC: official species list and the Section 7 consultation path for the project footprint. |
| Tall structures (wind turbines, met towers) | Federal Aviation AdministrationForm 7460-1 notice through OE/AAA before construction above the 14 CFR 77.9 heights. |
| Construction stormwater where EPA is the permitting authority | U.S. EPAEPA's Construction General Permit (NeT eNOI) in New Mexico, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, D.C., Indian country and the territories. |
| Projects on federal land | Bureau of Land ManagementRight-of-way applications and NEPA documents for BLM-managed land. |
| Transmission and wholesale market rules | Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionOrder No. 2023 cluster-study reforms, followed by every FERC-jurisdictional transmission provider, RTO or utility; ERCOT has its own process. |
County and city pages for North Dakota
From the nationwide permit finder; counties and cities issue most land-use approvals, so start with the jurisdiction that covers the parcel.
- North Dakota — Water permitting programs (State): North Dakota environmental authority. Start with this agency for the linked water program. Check construction stormwater, wastewater and water-quality approvals separately; this link does not cover every environmental permit.
- North Dakota — Public Service Commission siting (State): North Dakota energy / siting authority. Confirm technology, project size, location and the current state-versus-local approval pathway with this authority.
- North Dakota — local government contacts (City & local): State government / local-government association. Locate the relevant government using this directory; some directories list only cities or only counties. Confirm municipal boundaries and any separate fire, drainage, water or other district authority.
Other states
How this list is made. Each link was found on the agency's own site and is re-checked by a script that loads it and records the date; a link that stops answering is shown without a link rather than dropped. Programs change with each legislative session: confirm fees, forms and thresholds on the agency page before filing. General information, not legal advice. How we check our data · Report an error.