BISMARCK, N.D. — A judge in the southwest judicial district of North Dakota has slashed the award against Greenpeace to $345 million, nearly half of what a jury initially awarded. The case stems from protests over the pipeline through the state that many here remember — and the decision is catching the attention of locals across the energy-rich region.
In 2019, Energy Transfer and its subsidiary, Dakota Access, LLC, filed suit against Greenpeace and its affiliates over protests during construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in 2016-17. The pipeline carries a significant portion of North Dakota’s Bakken-region crude oil.
A jury in March initially awarded roughly $667 million, finding Greenpeace liable for defamation, trespass, conspiracy, and business interference.
However, on October 29, 2025, State District Judge James Gion reviewed the case and found portions of the jury’s award to be duplicative or unsupported by the evidence — notably punitive damages and claims where the proof was weak. He accordingly reduced the figure to $345 million.
For Bismarck and central North Dakota readers, the case holds particular relevance: the pipeline crosses through the region, oil and energy companies play major roles in the local economy, and controversies over water rights, tribal sovereignty and protest tactics are not distant topics.
“While Judge Gion ruled in our favor in dismissing several claims — and from $667 million to roughly $345 million — we still believe that the remaining claims are legally unfounded,” said Marco Simons, interim general counsel for Greenpeace USA and the Greenpeace Fund.
From the pipeline company side, Energy Transfer stated that although they plan to appeal the judge’s reduction, they remain “pleased” that a substantial award stands and believe the verdict sends “a clear signal to those who choose to deliberately break the laws of the United States of America.”
Local energy-economy watchers say this kind of litigation could influence how future protests around resource development are handled in North Dakota. A Bismarck-area business leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, remarked: “It affects how companies in our region view risk of activism, and how locals see protest rights in the oil & gas sector.”
The reduction of the penalty against Greenpeace to $345 million doesn’t end the story — appeals are likely, and the legal waters remain murky. For central North Dakota, this ruling resonates: it touches on energy development, regional economics, tribal issues, environmental activism and legal precedent. Whether you’re in Bismarck, working in the energy sector or following community-rights debates, this case signals that voices on all sides matter — and that the financial stakes in these disputes are far from small.
