Plans for Proposed Generation in the Dakotas Could Increase Capacity to Over 14,300 Megawatts

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). Currently, the states of North and South Dakota have a total operational power generation capacity of more than 8,300 megawatts. About 69% (5,759 megawatts) of that is fossil-fuel generation and 31% is renewable generation. To meet upcoming growth needs and replace retiring inefficient units, power producers are proposing a possible increase of 72.7% in generation capacity. With more than 6,000 megawatts proposed, the surprising thing about planned generation in the Dakotas is the lack of diversity. Only coal and wind projects are proposed. No natural gas, nuclear, hydro, or other renewable projects are being developed, at this time.

Click on the image at right to view a chart showing the breakdown of planned generation in the Dakotas.

The proposed new generation is predominantly coal-based power generation with six projects to develop 4,475 megawatts. One project, the long-planned Big Stone II 600-megawatt (MW) project at the existing 475 MW Big Stone Station (Big Stone, South Dakota) is a joint venture of Otter Tail Power Company (NYSE:OTTR) (Fergus Falls, Minnesota), MDU Resources Group, Incorporated (NYSE:MDU) (Bismarck, North Dakota), Great River Energy (Elk River, Minnesota), Heartland Consumers Power District (Madison, South Dakota), Missouri River Energy Services (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (Rochester, Minnesota), and Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (Blue Earth, Minnesota).

The largest coal project being developed is the 2,000 MW Pierre Station (Pierre, South Dakota) being proposed by Black & Veatch (Kansas City, Missouri).

Developers that are developing renewable generation in the Dakotas are primarily looking at windfarms. There are over sixteen windfarms being studied from just under 20 megawatts to about 300 megawatts for a total of over 1,550 megawatts of proposed generation. The developers include major wind energy developers both national and international firms plus local Native American Tribes - Three Affiliated Tribes of Manden, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations 30MW Windfarm (New Town, North Dakota), Oglala Sioux Tribe 300MW Windfarm (Pine Ridge, South Dakota) plus Rosebud Sioux Tribe (Rosebud, South Dakota) 30MW Windfarm near Saint Francis, South Dakota.

For more information on future business trends and project spending in the Power Industry, check out Industrial Info’s 2006 Power Industry Forecast.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is a Marketing Information Service company that has been doing business for over 23 years. IIR is respected as the leader in providing comprehensive market intelligence pertaining to the industrial processing, heavy manufacturing, and energy-related industries throughout the world.