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No decisions yet on coal plant
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ABERDEEN, S.D. (The Associated Press) - Mar 3
A Basin Electric official says it may be several months before key decisions are made about a $2 billion coal-fired power plant proposed to be built west of Selby.
The North Dakota utility has bought 2,360 acres about 3 miles west of Selby. The proposed plant would have 120 to 150 employees.
The so-called NextGen plant would produce 600-700 megawatts of power a day, said Daryl Hill, a Basin Electric official.
One decision is what type of technology the plant would use, he said.
One option is known as integrated gasification combined cycle. The process turns coal into a gas, which then is combusted in a turbine that drives a generator. The exhaust from that turbine produces steam that drives another turbine-generator combination.
Another option burns pulverized coal at high pressure and temperatures to produce steam that turns turbines.
The technology that's picked will affect how much power the plant produces, the amount of coal that will be needed, train traffic and other details, according to Hill.
No matter the technology, the coal would be shipped by rail from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming.
If the plant is built, construction would start in 2010 and it would be online by 2014, officials said.
Basin Electric has filed a notification of intent with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. The letter says it would need PUC approval before late 2009.
In South Dakota, Basin Electric sells power to East River Electric.
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