On September 20, the Lignite Energy Council hosted 25 attendees, which consisted of a bipartisan group of current legislators and legislative candidates on a tour of North American Coal Corporation’s Falkirk Mine and Great River Energy’s Coal Creek Station, which is located right next to the mine near Underwood, North Dakota.
North Dakota legislators and legislative candidates participated in a recent tour of the Falkirk Mine and Coal Creek Station.“We have held two successful legislative tours so far this year to provide first-hand experiences to key policy makers of how the lignite industry is unique compared to other coal producers in the United States,” said Jonathan Fortner, director of government action for the Lignite Energy Council. “Our goal is to highlight the resiliency of baseload lignite power, show the beauty of the reclaimed farmland that surrounds the mining area and provide an opportunity for them to learn more about the $2 billion that LEC members have put into emission mitigation.”
At the Falkirk Mine, tour participants gained an understanding about surface mining and reclamation and visited the shop area where they were able to take pictures of the massive Kress haulers and CAT 793D dump trucks.
At Coal Creek Station, they were surprised to hear that almost all of the power generated on site went over transmission lines to Minnesota consumers. They also learned about the plant’s energy conversion and environmental control systems along with the adjacent ethanol plant and fly ash load-out facility located at Coal Creek’s Energy Park.
“While the weather was cold and rainy, it provided a good opportunity to show the participants that the mine and the plant are both very resilient and operational during unpredictable and inclement weather,” Fortner said. “After the tour, we received many positive reviews that they gained a better understanding of why the lignite industry has a powerful economic benefit to our region and why it has been strongly supported in a bipartisan manner for a very long time at the state capitol.”
He added that taking legislators on tours of the mines and plants is important to the overall success of the government action program.
“Many people who work in the lignite industry have long believed that if policy makers have the opportunity to visit area mines and plants, they will understand why we are so proud of what we do for a living,” he said. “The LEC will continue to bring key decision makers on tours of coal country to make sure your voices continue to be heard in the policy-making arena.”