Attorney Files Complaint Against Harmony Township Over Energy Bans

Attorney Joel Fremstad filed a formal complaint with the North Dakota Attorney General's Office on Wednesday, alleging that Harmony Township violated state open-meetings laws. The complaint centers on the township's efforts to implement a 24-month moratorium that would halt permits and construction for data centers, solar facilities, wind farms, battery storage, natural gas generation, and electric transmission lines.

Fremstad alleges that a public hearing notice published on October 9 failed to meet the 15-day legal requirement by two days and listed conflicting times. The filing further claims that Board Chairman Dustin Burchill improperly barred certain individuals from speaking during a Tuesday meeting while permitting utility representatives to testify.

Additionally, the complaint asserts the board bypassed a previously approved conflict-of-interest review by using unrecorded voice votes to hire two law firms. Despite the legal challenge, the Harmony Township Board of Supervisors remained scheduled to meet Thursday at the Mapleton Community Center.