North Bend to supply Basin Electric

North Bend, an Engie onshore wind project, will supply Basin Electric Power Cooperative for 25 years under a 200MW PPA.

Increased capacity

North Bend is located in Hughes and Hydecounty counties in South Dakota. The site will be operational by the end of 2023. Thus, it will complement Basin Electric’s renewable energy mix.

Basin Electric will thus diversify its energy portfolio. The power generation and transmission cooperative serves the needs of its 131 member cooperatives. In addition, they are spread across nine U.S. states.

According to Engie, the renewable electricity generated by North Bend will meet the monthly needs of approximately 73,000 households. In addition, the site will reduce carbon emissions by up to 620,000 tons of CO2 per year. Todd Telesz, General Manager of Basin Electric, states:

“We are excited to add the North Bend wind turbine to our total generation portfolio of more than 7,000 megawatts, which brings together affordable and reliable generation to meet the needs of our member cooperatives for decades to come. In addition, it demonstrates our commitment to using resources that align with our overall energy strategy.”

A local production

Engie will develop, build and operate the North Bend Wind farm. The site will consist of 71 wind turbines on approximately 47,000 acres of land. In addition, the French company estimates that the work will create over 250 jobs.

Dave Carroll, Chief Renewables Officer, Engie North America, said:

“We are proud to have been selected by Basin Electric to help them meet their needs for increasing renewable energy in their overall generation mix and supporting them in providing reliable, low-cost power to their members. The fact that we are able to provide 100 percent locally generated electricity from South Dakota to supply members throughout Basin Electric’s service territory underscores our commitment to being part of the community for at least the next quarter century. It may not be quite ‘farm to table,’ but Basin Electric members are still buying local.”

Engie, currently operates or is building nearly 5GW of wind, solar and battery storage projects across the United States and Canada. In addition, the company was adding more than 12GW of wind, solar and storage to its portfolio in 2022.

Basin Electric is a regional cooperative based in North Dakota. It operates in nine states: Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. As such, it distributes electricity to approximately 3 million consumers.