Landowners, Officials in LaMoure and Stutsman Fight Otter Tail, MDU Project

Landowners across LaMoure and Stutsman counties and township officials on Feb. 25, 2026 registered formal opposition to a project developed by Otter Tail Power Company and Montana‑Dakota Utilities, escalating the dispute to the North Dakota Public Service Commission and state lawmakers. The action centered on local propertyholders and the zoning administrator for Russell Township taking coordinated steps to involve state regulators and legislators in the matter.

The developers named in the dispute are Otter Tail Power Company and Montana‑Dakota Utilities (MDU), both parties identified by county residents and township officials as the proponents of the project. Landowners in both LaMoure and Stutsman counties cited concerns that prompted them and township leadership to seek state-level review on Feb. 25, 2026, bringing the matter out of routine county planning discussions and into regulatory and legislative channels.

Township officials were represented in the effort by the zoning administrator for Russell Township, who joined landowners from the two counties in asking the North Dakota Public Service Commission to take a role. That involvement places township-level land use questions alongside the PSC’s authority over utility matters, tying a local zoning actor directly to a statewide regulatory body as of Feb. 25, 2026.

The explicit involvement of the North Dakota Public Service Commission and state lawmakers signals that the dispute has moved beyond local permitting, into arenas where regulatory approval and potential legislative scrutiny overlap. Otter Tail Power Company and MDU, as the project developers, now face a mix of local opposition and state-level attention that could affect permitting timelines and the terms under which the project proceeds.

For LaMoure and Stutsman county officials, the participation of the Russell Township zoning administrator highlights a flashpoint between township governance and utilities regulated at the state level. The Feb. 25, 2026 escalation makes clear that township officials are asserting their role in land-use decisions, while simultaneously seeking state intervention through the Public Service Commission and through communication with state lawmakers.

As of Feb. 25, 2026 the dispute remains active. With Otter Tail Power Company and Montana‑Dakota Utilities identified as the developers and landowners and the Russell Township zoning administrator formally involved, the next steps will hinge on how the North Dakota Public Service Commission and state lawmakers respond to the filings and requests submitted on Feb. 25, 2026. The outcome will determine whether the project moves forward under current terms or faces modifications driven by the concerns raised by LaMoure and Stutsman county stakeholders.