BISMARCK, N.D.—Coal will continue to pay a big role in the region’s energy future even with more emphasis on wind and other sources, the chief executive officer and general manager of Basin Electric Power Cooperative says.
Ron Harper told participants at Basin’s annual meeting Wednesday that the Bismarck-based cooperative soon will decide whether to put a new coal-fired plant in North Dakota or South Dakota. He said ground already has been broken for a new coal plant in Wyoming. Environmental groups have asked regulators there to revoke the plant’s permit to help protect against global warming.
“We can talk about renewables. We can talk about energy conservation and so on and so forth, But more importantly, we need to talk about base-load generation,” Harper said. Base-load generation refers to power generation that is available at least 80 percent of the time—making coal one of the most reliable sources, co-op officials said.
“The types of loads that we are looking at, that the membership is going to be hooking up, are high-load factor loads, and that’s where you need base-load generation. And it will be with coal,” Harper said.
“Again, that’s our most abundant natural resource, particularly in our region. And we need to continuing being at that drawing board.”
Harper said the demand for power generation is growing.
“Basin Electric’s capital requirement to meet this growth over the next decade is currently projected to be $5.9 billion,” he said. “Getting that magnitude of funding will be no small task, but we are up to the challenge.”
Basin generates and transmits electricity to 125 member rural electric systems in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
The co-op is looking for a partner to sequester carbon dioxide from its Antelope Valley power plant near Beulah, and is developing an energy conservation program, Harper said.
Such changes “are not just intended to address the issue of climate change alone, but are also prudent as we address other business and environmental challenges,” he said.
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Information from: Dave Thompson/KCND-FM,
