Basin Electric Power Cooperative has selected Denver-based PCL Construction to build a $4 billion natural gas generating facility in Williams County, North Dakota.
With two units of approximately 745 MW, the combined cycle power plant, called the Bison Generation Station, will produce about 1.49 GW, making it one of the largest power generation projects in the cooperative’s history.
Headquartered in Bismarck, ND, the cooperative is comprised of approximately 140 member systems serving rural areas of Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, the Dakotas and Wyoming, with approximately 3 million customers.
Basin Electric is working with PCL and design-build firm Burns & McDonnell to align construction packages with the project schedule and coordinate with major equipment suppliers on manufacturing and delivery timelines.
PCL said it is assembling its construction team, preparing a mobilization plan and finalizing agreements with suppliers and subcontractors. Construction is expected to begin this spring.
The first unit is scheduled to come online in early 2029 and the second in 2030.
Chris Bauer, structural engineering supervisor for Basin Electric, said the cooperative spent almost all of 2025 identifying and evaluating potential contractors. “We started with a broad network of potential candidates with a fairly simple prequalification process that gave us key details to evaluate potential project partners,” Bauer said.
Basin Electric met personally with three finalists to review their project execution plans and prior experience.
The plant, located near Epping, ND, is designed to support load growth from industrial activity, manufacturing, data processing, residential customers and small businesses, including farms and ranches.
“This investment reinforces our commitment to a complete generation portfolio strategy, balancing multiple fuel types, generation methods and locations to ensure resiliency and flexibility,” Todd Brickhouse, Basin Electric CEO and general manager, said in a press release.
At peak construction in 2027, the project will employ around 1,000 workers. Commercial operations are scheduled to begin in 2030.
“It seems like a never-ending challenge to keep up with load growth, and this plant will go a long way to meet that demand,” he said. Gavin McCollam, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Basin Electric. The cooperative “has been growing its renewables portfolio over the years, and this natural gas facility will help fill the gaps when wind and solar are not available.”
The plant will operate as a combined cycle power plant, using both a combustion turbine and a steam turbine to generate electricity. Natural gas is burned to drive a combustion turbine connected to a generator. The exhaust heat from the process is captured by a heat recovery steam generator to produce steam, which feeds a second turbine and generator.
