Wind farm dedicated
In addition to wind development, Basin Electric CEO Ron Harper mentioned the hefty investment they already have in older forms of power generation, which are resources they can't simply stop using.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative
- June 17, 2010
Originally published by The Minot Daily News
Reported by Dan Feldner
A torrential downpour put a damper on planned tours but couldn't extinguish the excitement at the dedication ceremony for the PrairieWinds ND 1 Inc. wind farm south of Minot Thursday afternoon.
A long list of local and state dignitaries, including Gov. John Hoeven, made the trip to the project's maintenance and operations center 20 miles south of town to tell a packed house about the importance of wind energy in the state's future and the power of cooperation that made the massive wind farm, which is currently the largest cooperative-owned one in the country, a reality.
"Basin Electric Power Cooperative has been a real leader in the move to incorporate wind power into its portfolio," Hoeven said in a press release. "With this project, Basin Electric demonstrated that in North Dakota, we can do it all - we can produce affordable power from all sources with good stewardship, for the benefit of North Dakota and the nation."
The two original wind turbines built in 2002 are now joined by 80 new turbines and will have 120 megawatts of wind energy capacity. The last few turbines in the $250 million project went into operation the evening of Dec. 30, this past year, according to the press release.
Ron Harper, Basin Electric CEO and general manager, said Basin now has more than 450 megawatts of wind energy capacity in its portfolio.
"It's a success in another long line of success for Basin Electric and its generation development efforts," Harper said. "It also means that we have added another 120 megawatts of generation to our energy portfolio."
He noted long-standing energy sources such as coal and natural gas are still vitally important to the future of North Dakota and the nation, as only a well-balanced mix of different energy sources will be able to meet the increasing demands of the future.
Harper also mentioned the hefty investment they already have in older forms of power generation, which are resources they can't simply stop using.
"Our membership has $4 billion of investments in generation transmission. We can't walk away from that, you can't turn them off," he said.
A project this large needed the cooperation of a multitude of agencies and organizations to complete. Harper said the county and state governments, health department and public service commission all teamed with Basin Electric, Western Area Power Administration and countless other organizations to make this project a reality.
"That doesn't happen by happenstance. It takes a lot of people coordinating their efforts, coordinating communications to make all that come together. And that's exactly what took place here," Harper said. "Yeah, you run into walls and roadblocks, but if you're focused on your mission you'll find ways to get through it by working together as a team. That's the key component."
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1717 East Interstate Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58503-0564 USA
Phone: 701.223.0441
Basin Electric Power Cooperative will provide cost-effective wholesale energy along with products and services that support and unite rural America.
