Judge Finalizes Order for Greenpeace to Pay $345 Million in North Dakota Oil Pipeline Case
3rd March 2026
A North Dakota judge officially ordered Greenpeace to pay $345 million to the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline following a nearly yearlong tug-of-war over a Morton County jury’s verdict.
The jury in March 2025 originally ordered Greenpeace to pay Energy Transfer about $667 million, finding the environmental group at fault for harming the company during anti-pipeline protests in North Dakota in 2016 and 2017 and for publishing false statements that harmed the company’s reputation. Greenpeace denies these allegations and says Energy Transfer’s lawsuit is a veiled attempt to punish the environmental group for supporting the demonstrations.
Southwest Judicial District Judge James Gion in October slashed the jury’s award to $345 million, though he didn’t finalize the amount until Friday.
The final judgment also orders Greenpeace to pay 11% interest on the sum, starting from March 19, the date the jury announced its verdict, until the full amount is paid.