Coal Creek Station transfer, Regional Haze Plan, LEC holds Board Meeting, Minnkota Power and Summit partner, LEC staff on radio
The official sale and transfer of ownership in Coal Creek Station from Great River Energy to Rainbow Energy Center LLC occurred at 11:30 a.m. in Underwood, ND. Many people and organizations worked tirelessly to ensure that Coal Creek Station remained a piece of the energy picture in the upper midwest. Governor Burgum and Lt. Governor Sanford, along with the North Dakota federal delegation and the North Dakota legislature are among those to thank. They worked together to pass a package of critical bills that helped pull together financial considerations that made, not only the sale but the transition period, more manageable and set the plant on the path to a bold future. The unique business plan that is seeking to include large-scale carbon capture and sequestration among other key components are strong indicators for a successful future.
The Lignite Energy Council would like to thank Great River Energy for their great leadership and management of Coal Creek Station. GRE has been a valuable partner and we wish them the best in the future. We are also looking forward to working with Rainbow Energy Center LLC to continue our quest to provide maximum value to our industry as we move into the next generation of lignite power.
North Dakota’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) recently released its State Implementation Plan (SIP) for round two of the EPA’s Regional Haze Program, which is designed to improve visibility at federal parks and wilderness areas across the country. In the Lignite Council’s initial review of the SIP, along with the Lignite Council’s Environmental Managers Committee, we believe that DEQ has shown that they have fully studied the issue as it is written under the law and designed a plan that makes the most sense for North Dakota where we are blessed with the cleanest air in the country. This week, the Lignite Council will be launching a public affairs campaign aimed at driving public comments to DEQ during the public comment period which ends on June 1.
Last week, the Lignite Energy Council Board of Directors meet for the semi-annual Board Meeting. The Board heard financial and audit reports as well as Lignite Council program updates. As part of an evolving plan to increase the value of the Board Meetings, two educational sessions were held as part of the agenda. First, James Leiman, North Dakota Department of Commerce Commissioner, presented updates and opportunities from the Department of Commerce. Second, Tawny Bridgeford, Deputy General Counsel & Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for the National Mining Association presented on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s climate change rule. The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on Tuesday, September 27, in Bismarck, ND, in conjunction with the Lignite Council Annual Meeting.
Minnkota Power Cooperative and Summit carbon Solutions announced an agreement that will accelerate the development of the largest fully permitted carbon storage site in the United States. Minnkota and Summit have been working independently on the development of their respective carbon capture and storage projects. The partnership will allow both entities to work more quickly, more efficiently, and more cost-effectively. The agreement provides Summit with access to Minnkota’s already permitted 100-million-ton capacity CO2 storage site near Center, ND, the largest of only three such permitted sites in the United States. The agreement also creates the framework to jointly develop additional CO2 storage resources nearby, which are estimated to have aggregate CO2 storage exceeding 200 million tons. Learn more here: https://news.minnkota.com/post/minnkota-and-summit-carbon-solutions-announce-co2-storage-partnership
Jason Bohrer, Lignite Council President & CEO, will be guest-hosting the What’s on Your Mind radio program on Wednesday, May 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Additionally, a pre-recorded session discussing the Coal Creek Station transfer and featuring a roundtable including Jason Bohrer and Jonathan Fortner, Lignite Council Vice President of Government Affairs will air the same day on the Talk of the Town program on Super Talk 1270 (Bismarck, ND).
Rainbow Energy President Stacy Tschider addresses a packed house during the celebration event marking the completion of the sale of Coal Creek Station and the transmission system from Great River Energy to Rainbow Energy Center and Nexus Line.
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