Dedication held for Culbertson Generation Station

Dedication ceremony held for Montana's first cooperative-owned power plant.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative - August 12, 2010

Culbertson Generation Station

Culbertson, Mont. – Dedication ceremonies were held Aug. 13, 2010 for the Culbertson Generation Station, owned and operated by Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Bismarck, N.D.

In a little more than a year, this new power plant was constructed in northeast Montana, signaling the addition of the first, cooperative-owned power plant in the state.

The station will be an integral part of a generating network that includes not only coal-based and natural gas fueled-plant, but renewable energy as well. Dakota Gasification Company produces synthetic natural gas for the Northern Border Pipeline, which delivers gas to power the new station.

It was a joyous occasion as about 200 people heard Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and other guests talk about the accomplishment. Gov. Schweitzer said the station is an important investment for Basin Electric and the state of Montana. "This is Montana electricity produced here in Culbertson; it's good for Montana, good for the region; and good for Basin Electric."

Ron Harper, Basin CEO and general manager, said there were two requirements for locating the station near Culbertson. First, he said provides a generation source to help meet an increasing demand for electricity in northeast Montana and northwest North Dakota. Secondly, it will be able to reduce the strain on the electrical transmission system in the area. "There's a tremendous amount of analysis conducted before deciding on a location. Because of the transmission access and

Gov. Schweitzer and CEO Ron Harper

availability of fuel supply, this location was best," he said.

Harper said the Culbertson Generation Station will be a 95-megawatt capacity, natural gas-fueled peaking station, featuring the General Electric LMS100® turbine/generator. It's the same turbine/generator that's in operation at Basin Electric's Groton Generation Station, near Groton, SD, he said.

An air permit to construct was issued by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality for the Culbertson Generation Station on Jan. 21, 2009. A permit issued from the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) called FONSI—finding of no significant impact—was published in the Federal Register June 24, 2009. It addressed any environmental impacts that may be caused from construction and operation of the station. The FONSI was the last regulatory process needed before construction could begin.

Dean McCabe, a director for Basin Electric and a native of the Culbertson area, now living in Circle, Mont., said this station is an integral part of the cooperative power supply network. "As a director and as a rural electric consumer, I'm very proud of our accomplishments here in northeastern Montana," he said. "A lot of dedicated employees at the power plants, the transmission system and distribution cooperatives work hard every day to make sure the lights come on when they flip the switch."

McCabe said Basin Electric is meeting a growing demand for electricity with a state-of-the-art turbine that's very efficient; it has low emissions, incorporating the latest in environmental controls. "It's a new era of producing electricity using new technology.

"Not only are we producing affordable, low-cost electricity for members, we're providing long-term jobs for the area," he said. "We are proud to be a part of this network. We are proud to be a part of it along with our member systems. We are especially proud of the outcome of this project."

Other speakers included representatives of Montana U.S. Senator Max Baucus and U.S. Representatives Jon Tester and Dennis Rehberg; Jim Shanks, Roosevelt County Commissioner; Tom Barnett, manager of Upper Missouri G&T Electric Cooperative, Sidney, Mont., Rich Knick, manager of Sheridan Electric Cooperative, Medicine Lake, Mont,; and Nick Stas, environmental manager for Western Area Power Administration, Billings.

About Dakota Gasification Company

Headquartered in Bismarck, Dakota Gas owns and operates the Great Plains Synfuels Plant near Beulah, N.D. The plant produces pipeline-quality natural gas and related coproducts from a coal gasification process. Dakota Gas is a subsidiary of Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Bismarck

About Basin Electric Power Cooperative

Basin Electric is a consumer-owned, regional cooperative headquartered in Bismarck, N.D. It generates and transmits electricity to 135 member rural electric systems in nine states: Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. These member systems distribute electricity to about 2.8 million consumers.

Basin Electric's generating resources include: two coal-based power plants in North Dakota – the Antelope Valley Station, Beulah, and the Leland Olds Station, Stanton; a coal-based power plant in Wyoming – the Laramie River Station, Wheatland; three peaking stations – the Spirit Mound Station, Vermillion, S.D.; the Groton Generation Station Groton, S.D., and the Wisdom Unit 2 Station, Spencer, Iowa; nine combustion-turbine generators (natural gas) in the Gillette, Wyo., area; four wind turbines – two near Minot, N.D., and two near Chamberlain, S.D.; the energy produced from six baseload waste-heat stations owned and operated by Ormat Technologies Inc. along the Northern Border Pipeline, and the output of three wind farms owned and operated by NextEra Energy Resources, Juno Beach, Fla. The wind farms are located near Wilton and Edgeley/Kulm, N.D.; the other is near Highmore, S.D. For more information, go to www.basinelectric.com.

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