North Dakota PSC approves Basin Electric’s site compatibility application for Bison Generation Station

The North Dakota Public Service Commission (NDPSC) approved Basin Electric’s application for a certificate of site compatibility for Bison Generation Station, Basin Electric’s newest natural gas-fueled combined-cycle power plant set to be constructed in Williams County.

With the certificate of site compatibility from the NDPSC and the necessary local permits in place, crews were able to begin initial site grading on Aug. 18 under the observation of NDPSC’s third-party inspector. The grading work is being done this summer and fall to prepare the site for the planned start of construction in 2026.

The need for Bison Generation Station was determined through Basin Electric’s load forecasting and power supply planning process. This includes an annual load forecast, which is a cooperative effort among distribution members, generation and transmission members, and Basin Electric for its entire service area.

“Basin Electric’s 2024 Load Forecast highlighted strong oil and gas-related growth in the Bakken region, in addition to growth across Basin Electric’s service territory,” said Benjamin Hertz, Basin Electric’s manager of power supply planning. “Bison Generation Station addresses the growing energy demands of member electric cooperatives, which serve a wide variety of traditional load sectors including agriculture, oil and gas, ethanol, manufacturing, and residential.”

Bison Generation Station represents a new flagship resource for Basin Electric’s membership. It will be capable of providing a long-term dispatchable supply of generation to the area, which can be delivered across Basin Electric’s service territory in the Southwest Power Pool.