ND Industrial Commission Approves Over $40 Million for AmeriCarbon, Packet Digital Projects

Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, acting as the North Dakota Industrial Commission, approved more than $40 million in loans that will direct $30 million to AmeriCarbon Forge LLC to build an Eco-Pitch manufacturing facility, $12 million to Packet Digital to support a lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Fargo, and more than $1 million to Ore Spring Materials for a rare-earth project near Underwood.

The commission said, "the projects approved today will ensure that the future of North Dakota's energy industry remains resilient and sustainable." The action took place Feb. 24, 2026, and was presented by the three-member panel that oversees state energy and related economic development investments.

AmeriCarbon Forge LLC's allocation is described as $30,000,000 to build a facility to produce Eco-Pitch, identified in the commission materials as a coal-tar alternative. The publicly available summaries do not specify the plant site for AmeriCarbon, the anticipated construction timeline, or workforce projections; those project details remain to be confirmed with AmeriCarbon and NDIC meeting records.

Packet Digital received $12,000,000 to support its Fargo lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility. Governor Armstrong posted on Facebook that the Industrial Commission approved $3.42M in grants for three projects through the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority and added, "Utilizing lithium from oilfield wastewater to produce batteries that compete with China and bringing value-added opportunities to North Dakota lignite and critical minerals are important projects to enhance the synergies of the energy industry in our great state." Armstrong's post is separate from the loan totals and references the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority by name.

Ore Spring Materials was awarded "more than a million dollars" for a rare-earth mineral project near Underwood; the record supplied does not list the precise dollar figure or whether the award is a loan or grant. The location is identified as near Underwood but resource estimates, permitting status and project timeline were not listed in the commission excerpts.

State materials identify the NDIC leadership and staff involved in these funding decisions: the commission is composed of Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, and Karlene Fine is named as the commission's executive director in related legislative materials. NDIC public materials also list recent separate awards, including $45.1 million in matching grants in the Oil and Gas Research Program's 62nd round and $1,000,000 in Renewable Energy Program matching grants dated Oct. 27, 2025; those program totals are tied to different grant rounds and are not identified as part of the Feb. 24, 2026 loans.

Public reaction on the governor's Facebook post included critical comments such as Kit Brenan's post questioning wind towers, battery storage safety and carbon storage, and asking why public dollars would back those options. Thomas Frank and Rudy Radovich also posted skeptical comments about government competence and royalty questions for lithium recovery from operators.

The reported allocations sum to at least $43 million when adding $30 million, $12 million and the "more than $1 million" item, while the commission's headline figure is reported as more than $40 million. NDIC meeting minutes, the commission's formal press release and statements from AmeriCarbon Forge LLC, Packet Digital and Ore Spring Materials are needed to confirm exact amounts, whether awards are loans or grants, the funding source within NDIC programs, loan terms and project timelines. Those records will clarify how these approvals fit with the state's other recent energy research and lignite program awards.