Basin Electric to make move into Bakken
A major player in Coal Country is poised to make a move into the state's oil patch.
Bismarck Tribune
- November 10, 2011
Lauren Donovan
Basin Electric Power Cooperative, owner of two coal-fired power plants, plans to build a 190-mile, 345-kilovolt transmission line to fuel a growing demand for the raw electricity that keeps the oil boom turning.
Basin's in-house projections show that by 2025, demand for electricity in the oil patch will increase another 1,300 megawatts, or about one-fourth of all power produced now in North Dakota.
The new line, as proposed, will run from the co-op's Antelope Valley Station in the heart of Coal Country to the Williston and Tioga region, served by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative, where nearly 90 rigs are drilling.
Bismarck-based Basin has applied for financing from the Rural Utilities Service, an agency of the federal Department of Agriculture, which requires an environmental assessment of the project.
The agency will hold public scoping meetings to get comments on three proposed corridors for the line that will run through Mercer, Dunn, Billings, McKenzie, Williams and Mountrail counties.
The meetings will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the NDSU Extension center in Williston and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the American Legion Hall in Killdeer.
The agency wants to gather information on impact of the transmission line on people, wildlife, flood plains and wetlands. The line is proposed to cross Lake Sakakawea west of Williston.
The line also will have to go through a siting process with the Public Service Commission. It's anticipated construction could start in 2014.
Mike Risan, Basin's vice president of transmission, said the co-op needs to move thoughtfully into the Bakken region.
"At this point, we're basically playing catch-up since the load has developed so quickly," he said. "As we move forward, we are addressing the issue with a phased approach to avoid the possible risk of overbuilding the transmission system in the event the rate of growth diminishes."
Besides the new transmission line - Basin's first solely owned line going into the northwest oil patch region - the co-op announced Thursday that it also plans to build its first natural gas peaking plant in North Dakota in the oil patch.
Pending successful applications, a 70-megawatt generating station using natural gas as fuel will be near a natural gas gathering and processing plant to be constructed by ONEOK Partners near Williston, said Basin spokesman Daryl Hill.
He said the facility will have technology to allow it to either generate electricity or to support voltage and prevent fluctuations.
Headquarters
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.
