The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on Friday said it approved construction of the Big Stone II power plant that would be built near Milbank between South Dakota and Minnesota.
The Big Stone II plant is a proposed $1 billion, 600 megawatt, coal-based facility that will serve the customers of Otter Tail Power Company, Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, Great River Energy, Heartland Consumers Power District, Missouri River Energy Services, MDU Resources Group and Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency.
Construction is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2007, with the plant anticipated to be operational in the second quarter of 2011.