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It's no surprise that an electric cooperative will build what will soon be the largest, most advanced power plant in North Dakota.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative plans to complete its 1,490-megawatt Bison Generation Station in the first quarter of 2030. The $4 billion combined-cycle natural gas plant will be built in the Bakken Shale region in northwest North Dakota.
“This facility is an extension of Basin Electric's historical approach of converting low-cost, regional natural resources into affordable energy," says Erin Dukart, the Bismarck-based G&T's director of environmental services. “It's also designed with the best available technologies to ensure effective emissions control."
Construction of the two-unit plant will begin in early 2026. The first 745-MW unit is expected to be built by October 2028 and operational by March 2029. The second is slated to be up by November 2029 and operational by March 2030.
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In late 2023, Basin Electric began considering a large new generation project as load forecasts showed healthy growth across its service territory and highlighted strong oil and gas-related demand in the Bakken region, which stretches from northwest North Dakota to Montana. Traditional load among Basin's 139 member co-ops is expected to increase by 2.5% per year, compared to the national average of less than 1%, according to the G&T.
“Bison Generation Station is being built to serve this traditional load growth and ensure we can meet the continued needs of our existing members," says Ben Hertz, Basin Electric power supply planning manager.
“The plant will address 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."
Dan Gallagher, Basin Electric vice president of commercial operations, adds that the generation station is not being built to serve emerging large loads like data centers and other energy intensive industries.
To manage these requests, Basin Electric recently implemented a Large Load Commercial Program that “helps insulate our co-op members from rate impacts while allowing them to serve these new large loads."
“The program provides flexibility and establishes a clear, consistent process for evaluating new load requests," Gallagher says.
Bison Generation Station is projected to provide long-term rate stability by broadening the G&T's fuel diversity and investing in local resources to reduce exposure to market swings.
“This new capacity ensures that Basin Electric can continue to meet traditional energy demands while maintaining dependable service during periods of peak demand, when renewable resources are limited due to weather or time of day," Hertz says. “Basin Electric believes in an all-of-the-above energy strategy, and this generator will provide reliable, dispatchable power regardless of whether the wind is blowing or the sun is shining."
