Construction continues at Basin Electric’s Bison Generation Station

Since the groundbreaking ceremony in May, construction has progressed at Basin Electric’s Bison Generation Station, a key project designed to strengthen reliability and help meet its members’ future energy needs.

Chris Bauer, Basin Electric’s manager of structural engineering and Bison Generation Station project manager, said the team has focused on underground utilities and foundation work. Key accomplishments to date include completing the Unit One heat recovery steam generator foundation and the gas turbine base mats. The team also completed all Unit One air-cooled condenser foundations and has begun work on the Unit Two foundations. Another focus has been on completing the work safely, with no recordable incidents since work began at the project site. The team is on track to complete all major equipment foundations for Unit One and Unit Two air-cooled condenser foundations by the end of the year.

The progress taking shape at the site is supported by years of planning and equipment procurement from around the world.

“The Unit One heat recovery steam generator’s major components originated in Vietnam and were received in the U.S. at the Port of Houston,” said Bauer. “The heavy haul deliveries came to a nearby rail siding by train, and from there, a contractor used special equipment to get them from the rail siding to the project site.”

Even with several major milestones now complete, plenty of work remains before Bison Generation Station begins operating.

“This is a huge project,” Bauer said. “We still have two years of hard construction ahead of us, but the project is on track to hit our commercial operation dates of early 2029 for Unit One and early 2030 for Unit Two.”

As construction progresses into 2027, members and employees traveling near the site can expect the facility to become increasingly visible as crews transition from underground and foundation work to above-ground construction.