Back at the end of February, we looked at the fate of North Dakota coal-fired Coal Creek power plant, which supplies electrical power to the Great River Energy co-operative in Lignite Energy Council sets up MN political fund and Great River Energy's choice: Star Tribune looks at Coal Creek power plant financial pain--and UCS: MN's electricity sector transitioning but electric coops remain tied to coal-fired plants .
We're still waiting to learn what the fate of the Coal Creek plant.
Two new items in the Bismarck Tribune are worth a read for those curious about what decision Great River Energy may eventually make.
On April 19, Amy Sisk reported in As co-op considers closing Coal Creek, concerns play out in zoning spat:
In the months since Great River Energy announced that Coal Creek Station faces serious financial problems, anxiety has spread through North Dakota’s coal country.
The Minnesota-based power cooperative is considering installing 800 megawatts of wind energy in the area in the event that it shuts down the coal plant. That amount of electricity is equal to the power capacity of about four average North Dakota wind farms.
Sometime this year, GRE plans to announce what’s in store for the future of Coal Creek, which has operated between Washburn and Underwood for 40 years. With a capacity of more than 1,100 megawatts, it’s the largest coal-fired power plant in North Dakota and supports hundreds of jobs, including those at the Falkirk Mine next door. The facility has operated at a loss amid market challenges, as it competes with cheap natural gas and renewable energy.
While GRE has remained tight-lipped about its plans, co-op president and CEO David Saggau spelled out one option -- to replace at least some of the facility’s output with wind power -- in a recent letter to McLean County commissioners. The letter came in response to proposed changes to the local zoning code, and it explained that GRE is thinking of connecting new wind farms to its existing transmission line that runs from Coal Creek to Minnesota.
The uncertainty surrounding the fate of Coal Creek came to a head late last month at a county commission meeting, where commissioners approved the zoning amendments. The changes put new restrictions on the development of wind farms in the area.
“We have some legacy power lines, and we’re looking at an industry that’s basically saying we’ve got to have a dramatic increase in them,” said McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd Erickson, who wrote the amendments.
As more wind farms pop up in the area, he envisions more power lines criss-crossing the landscape, becoming problematic for industries such as agriculture and recreation. Like coal, those industries are major economic drivers in the region. . . .
But there's another side of the story:
Wind industry supporters worry the ordinance could drive future wind development out of coal counties to other states, causing North Dakota landowners to lose out on lease payments and sending tax dollars elsewhere.
The group North Dakotans for Comprehensive Energy Solutions estimates that 800 megawatts of new wind power would result in local landowners collecting $5 million in lease payments each year and counties receiving $4 million annually in taxes.
“It would be good to keep 800 megawatts of wind energy in our state and use existing infrastructure,” said Tammy Ibach, director of the group, referring to the high-voltage direct current transmission line that begins at Coal Creek.
The zoning changes extend beyond the rule about power lines crossing the river, and they could soon become the subject of a lawsuit.
Read the rest at the Tribune.
In McLean needs to work with Great River, an editorial published on Wednesday, the Bismarck Tribune wrote:
The Tribune editorial board believes the McLean County Commission is taking the wrong approach with Great River Energy. Instead of trying to limit the company’s options, the county should be working with the company on solutions.
The county is concerned because the company has been honest about its Coal Creek Station’s financial problems. One of the options on the table is closing the plant that has been operating for 40 years. That’s a scary thought for Coal Country residents who have enjoyed the benefits of coal for several decades.
Great River Energy doesn’t intend to abandon McLean County. One option, if the plant is closed, is the installation of 800 megawatts of wind energy in the area. That’s a fair amount of wind power, equal to about four average North Dakota wind farms.
Great River also has offered McLean $15 million over five years to help offset lost coal tax revenue if the plant closes.
The county, however, reacted by approving amendments to its zoning code that will make construction of the wind farms iffy at best. One of the changes requires any transmission lines connected to wind turbines in North Dakota be placed at least 1 mile from the Missouri River, Lake Sakakawea and Lake Audubon.
The county is worried about the impact of transmission lines on agriculture and recreation, key economic drivers in the region along with coal. Great River has warned the $15 million offer is off the table if the changes are adopted. There’s also the strong possibility of a lawsuit over the zoning changes.
North Dakotans for Comprehensive Energy Solutions, which supports wind energy, opposed the zoning changes. The group argues the proposed wind farms could result in $5 million in lease payments to landowners each year and $4 million annually in taxes.
While the Tribune understands the county’s desire to protect recreation and agriculture, we think the changes go too far. There should be room for compromise.
McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd Erickson, in arguing for the need to protect agriculture and recreation, said “Green energy is a penny on the dollar to those other industries.” The Tribune believes that comment reflects a lot of what’s driving the county to make the zoning changes. It’s a belief that green energy threatens a way of life in the county and the country.
There’s no doubt that the nation’s reliance on coal has been waning. Wyoming’s struggles with its coal industry is a prime example. We can’t stop change, but we can adapt to it. . . .
We don’t know the fate of the Coal Creek Station, but closure appears likely. McLean County needs to work with Great River Energy to find a compromise. Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford and other state officials have offered to help.
The county can’t bully Great River into keeping the plant operating. They can, by working with the company and the state, find other sources of revenue for the county and region.
Bluestem suspects that there's some bullying going on beyond the county--and we're curious about the choice Great River Energy will make.
Related posts:
- Carbon capture in the news & an early March forum
- Project Tundra's clean coal; or, does Petra Nova project's tech really reduce carbon emissions?
Photo: The Coal Creek Power Plant.
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