BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota's largest power plant is making operational changes to remain competitive in a changing market.
The Bismarck Tribune (https://bit.ly/2i4qZLx ) reports the Coal Creek Station will be able to ramp its electrical output up and down more quickly depending on whether the wind is blowing and more renewable energy is available. Most of North Dakota's other coal plants aren't designed to do that, while gas-fired plants can.
Great River Energy spokesman Lyndon Anderson says the company is adapting the plant's operations in a process called cycling, which allows it to fluctuate between its full capacity of more than 1,100 megawatts to 300 megawatts or less when the wind is blowing.
Anderson says the plant will never completely cease operations, but will change its output to match the market.
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Information from: Bismarck Tribune, https://bismarcktribune.com/