Coal Creek Station, owned and operated by Rainbow Energy Center, located near the Missouri River between Underwood and Washburn. The power plant has a long history in North Dakota. Ground breaking began in 1974 and the first unit began generating electricity in 1979. Each year, Coal Creek Station utilizes approximately 8 million tons of beneficiated lignite to fuel the plant; Falkirk Mining Company, a subsidiary of North American Coal Corporation is the sole lignite supplier of Coal Creek Station. This electrical generation sends approximately 1,151 MW to Minnesota via the HVDC transmission system.