This Is Getting Very, Very Interesting Very, Very Quickly -- August 28, 2014

For background to this story, see an earlier post. Today, The Bismarck Tribune is reporting:

In what would be major economic and energy development for the central region, Basin Electric Power Cooperative says it is scouting for land in Emmons County to locate a mega-scale power plant fueled by natural gas.

The cooperative will meet with the Emmons County Commission in Linton Tuesday to talk about its plans, though spokesman Curt Pearson emphasized the project is still in its infancy and no firm decisions had yet been made.

On the other hand and as a sign of its interest in going forward, the company is looking for land deals in Emmons County. The site will require about 100 acres of land that would be taken on option and then purchased if the plant goes forward.

“This is at the earliest stage, but since we have people out there talking to landowners, it is time to talk to the (Emmons) county commission,” Pearson said.

The co-op has confined its land search to Emmons County, but Morton County also has potential, Pearson said.

The Missouri River and the Northern Border Natural Gas Pipeline go through both Emmons and Morton counties and each has transmission lines to take the 600 megawatt power load.