Columnist Warns Anti-Pipeline Sentiment Threatens ND Business Climate

A North Dakota columnist warns that a "populist wave" of opposition to infrastructure projects, including pipelines, is challenging the state's business-friendly reputation. In an opinion piece published Wednesday, Minot-based columnist Rob Port stated that pushback from a "noisy but minority segment of the public" has become a significant factor for projects ranging from data centers to transmission lines and pipelines.

Port specifically cited a recent headline from the North Dakota Monitor, "Safety not a factor in determining North Dakota pipeline routes, attorney says," as an example of "bad reporting" that could make a fraught situation worse. The headline referred to attorney Zachary Pellham of the North Dakota Public Service Commission (PSC), who made the statement during litigation over the now-canceled Summit Carbon Pipeline permit.

According to Port's column, the headline is inaccurate. He clarifies that the state PSC, through an agreement with the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), establishes and enforces safety standards for intrastate pipeline systems entirely within North Dakota. For interstate projects, like the Summit pipeline, state officials regulate the siting, but federal authorities retain direct oversight of safety standards. Port asserts Pellham was explaining that the PSC cannot consider certain federal safety standards for interstate pipelines because that jurisdiction is explicitly preempted by the federal Pipeline Safety Act.

The column frames this debate as central to North Dakota's economic future. Port questions, "is North Dakota still open for business?" and expresses concern that if opposition prevails, the "investments that can bring jobs, commerce and economic diversification to our state may well find somewhere else to operate." He attributes part of the opposition to being "empowered by social media, AI-generated content and in partnership with certain activist groups."

Port is critical of the North Dakota Monitor's funding, noting that media watchdog NewsGuard has said its parent organization, States Newsroom, has been “bought by people with a political agenda.” He suggests the Monitor's editorial bent aligns with those wanting to "halt progress and development" in the state.

For Bakken operators and energy developers, the column highlights the growing political and regulatory uncertainty surrounding new midstream infrastructure. The cancellation of the Summit Carbon Pipeline is cited as a direct consequence of this "political folderol." The argument presented is that perceived hostility to pipeline projects could complicate future efforts to build the gathering, transmission, and carbon capture networks essential for the basin's long-term viability and economic diversification.