Basin Electric Power Cooperative has selected PCL Industrial Construction Co. (PCL) as the general contractor for the Bison Generation Station, a new $4-billion natural gas-fired power plant in Williams County, North Dakota. The full project represents one of the largest investments ever undertaken by Basin Electric to provide reliable, dispatchable power to meet growing traditional-load demand across the region.
North Dakota is home to the Bakken Formation, one of the largest oil and natural gas-producing regions in the U.S. The Bakken is part of the Williston Basin.
Basin Electric, which leads 139 member cooperatives, has said the new 1,490-MW power station will be built near the existing Wheelock substation along U.S. Highway 2 in Williams County. It will have two 745-MW combined-cycle units, and will incorporate advanced technology to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. Construction is set to begin soon, with commercial operation expected across 2029 and 2030.
State regulators approved the project in August of last year.
Job Creation
The companies on Monday said construction of the power plant will create about 1,000 jobs. The plant once operational will have 40 to 50 full-time staff onsite.
“We’re proud to help deliver the largest power plant in North Dakota,” said Bobby Youngblood, project director for PCL, in a statement. “The Bison Generation Station will serve as a staple of the state’s energy landscape, ensuring reliable, efficient power to Basin Electric’s members by meeting growing demand and driving economic growth across the region.”
The companies said PCL will collaborate with Basin Electric and project partners to manage construction packages, coordinate major equipment deliveries, and ensure a safe and timely execution of the project.
Basin Electric in October of last year celebrated completion of Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV, at the time the largest single-site power generation facility built in North Dakota in more than 40 years. That project added about 580 MW of gas-fired capacity to the Pioneer Generation Station, located northwest of Williston, bringing total capacity of that power station to more than 800 MW. The Pioneer Station includes combustion turbines and reciprocating engine units. Burns & McDonnell served as the engineering, procurement, and construction lead on the project.
PCL Construction is made up of independent construction companies operating throughout the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and Australia. PCL has an annual construction volume of more than $8 billion. The company earlier this month said it is advancing the $1.96-billion expansion and modernization of the Los Angeles Convention Center in California. Construction of that project began last year and is expected to be complete in 2028.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
