Apparently Someone Missed The Memo: The Bakken Boom Is Over -- April 30, 2015

The Bismarck Tribune is reporting:

The North Dakota Public Service Commission approved Wednesday permits for three electrical power infrastructure projects in western North Dakota being planned by Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

The projects, costing about $445 million, involve expansions of two natural gas powered generating stations and a new electric transmission line in the Oil Patch.

The first permit is for a $161.2 million expansion of the Pioneer Generating Station in Williams County, about 15 miles northwest of Williston. Basin Electric plans to add 111 megawatts of electric generation capacity to the station consisting of 12 engines running on natural gas supplied to the site by an existing pipeline. The new engines will be constructed adjacent to three existing turbines at the location, bringing the total capacity at the site to 246 megawatts. [$161.2 million / 111 MW = $1.5 million / MW]

The second permit is for a $149 million expansion of the Lonesome Creek Station in McKenzie County, about 14 miles west of Watford City. Basin Electric plans to add 135 megawatts of electric generation capacity to the station by adding three 45-megawatt, natural gas-fired combustion turbines. The turbines would be adjacent to three similar turbines at the location, bringing the total capacity at the site to 270 megawatts. [$149 million / 135 MW = $1.1 million /MW]

The third permit issued is for a $135 million North Killdeer Loop Phase I project in McKenzie County, which involves 28 miles of a new 345 kilovolt electric transmission line. The project will also include the construction of two substations. The line would start from the proposed Patent Gate Substation north of Arnegard and would extend generally eastward to the proposed Kummer Ridge substation east of Watford City.

The locations are very, very interesting. Maybe more on that later, when I get caught up, after traveling.