Basin Electric Power Cooperative
Madison Peaking Units
The Madison peaking units are a joint project by Basin Electric Power Cooperative, the city of Madison, SD, and East River Electric Power Cooperative that resulted in five 2-megawatt Caterpillar diesel electric generating units and construction of a 6,050-square-foot generator building in Madison.
The diesel units serve as a peaking resource for Basin Electric and backup generation for the city of Madison. Basin Electric has contracted with the city of Madison to purchase the units' output to fulfill member system peak load demand and to meet reserve power supply requirements.
Owned by the city of Madison, the peaking units and a new substation and four new circuits are valued at $5.5 million.
East River Electric Power Cooperative, a Basin Electric Class A member, spearheaded the project, and has committed to transport the units' output to the grid and provide the communications link between the city of Madison and Western Area Power Administration’s operations offices in Watertown, SD.
The city of Madison had already planned an upgrade to the city’s electrical system, which included a new 10-megavolt-amperes (MVA) substation, designed to meet the growing load of a nearby industrial park.
Operated remotely from the Leland Olds Station, near Stanton, ND, the five 2-megawatt Caterpillar diesel units have an output of 10 megawatts. The units became commercially available in April 2005.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative
1717 East Interstate Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58503-0564 USA
701.223.0441