Gascoyne 500 Project

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{{#Badges:CoalSwarm}} This project replaced the earlier Gascoyne 175 project; the air permits for Gascoyne 175 expired in August 2007.[1] The North Dakota Health Department issued a draft air permit for this plant in May 2007. In June 2007, the North Dakota Industrial Commission announced that the project continues to be eligible for up to $10 million in state aid.[2]

In July, the U.S. Department of the Interior expressed concerns with the prospect of a 500-megawatt (MW) coal plant within the Class I airflow of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. In August 2007, Westmoreland submitted a letter of intent to the Public Service Commission. The final air permit for the project is scheduled to be issued in early 2008.[1]

In May, 2007, co-sponsor Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., dropped out of the project in order to concentrate on Big Stone II.[1]

In May, 2008, Westmoreland Power announced that it was suspending development on the plant and returning $562,500 in state state subsidies for the project. The company cited lack of a customer for the power and uncertainty over carbon regulation. Company spokesman Keith Alessi wrote to the N.D. Industrial Commission: "There is much uncertainty in the utility sector on when future carbon regulation will come into effect. This has slowed the development of coal-fired power plants. ... At this time (we) cannot predict when a long-term customer (for the plant's electricity) can be found and the actual plant construction could commence."[1]

Project Details

Sponsor: Westmoreland Power
Location: Gascoyne, ND
Type: Circulating fluidized bed
Capacity: 500 MW
Status: Cancelled

Financing

Citizen Groups

Resources

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 “Feds Cite Air Quality Concerns With Gascoyne Plant Project", Bismarck Tribune, August 2, 2007. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "bismarck" defined multiple times with different content
  2. "Westmoreland Eligible for Aid for Power Plant Project, Commission Says", KXMB website, June 28,2007.

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