 |
|
|
|
Trips to Go
|
Watts Up Energy Tour
|
|
|
|
Categories: History and Legends
|
Do you know where your energy comes from? North Dakota has the single largest deposit of lignite coal in the world with an estimated 25 billion tons of recoverable reserves. It is home to Great Plains Synfuels, the only commercial-sized coal gasification plant in the United States. And you will be blown away by our wind energy!
Basin Electric Power Cooperative
Antelope Valley Station
- 7 miles northwest of Beulah, the Antelope Valley Station is a lignite-fired electric generating station operated by Basin Electric Power Cooperative. Season: Year-round, M-F, business hours, 24-hour notice Minimum time: 1 hour 701-223-0441 http://www.basinelectric.com/
Great Plains Synfuels Plant
- 4 miles northwest Beulah, the Great Plains Synfuels Plant appears as a massive complex of pipes, towers and buildings on the rolling North Dakota prairie. The synfuels plant began operating in 1984 and today produces more than 160 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and over 54 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas annually. Season: Year-round, M-F, business hours, 24-hour notice required. Minimum time: 1½ hours. 701-223-0441 (Ext. 2330) or 701-873-6667 http://www.basinelectric.com/
Wind Energy
Leland Olds Station
- 1 mile south, 3½ miles east of Stanton, this is a lignite-fired electric generating station. Season: Year-round, M-F, business hours, 24-hour notice required. Minimum time: 1½ hours. 701-223-0441 (Ext. 2330) or 701-745-3371 http://www.basinelectric.com/
Center Mine
- 1 mile east, 4 miles south of Center, this open-pit surface mine has 3 draglines and you can drive into the pit and see the reclamation process and the reclaimed lands. Owned and operated by BNI Coal Ltd. of Minnesota Power. Season: Year-round, M-F, 7 am-2 pm; guided tours by appointment only, 24-hour notice required. Minimum time: 1 hour. 701-794-8734 www.bnicoal.com
Dakota Westmoreland Coal Mine
- 3 miles south of Beulah on Highway 49, this mine is owned and operated by Dakota Westmoreland and supplies lignite to the Coyote Station and Heskett Station. Domestic lignite is also available. Season: Year-round, M-F, 9 am-2 pm; by appointment only, 24-hour notice required. Minimum time: 1 hour. 701-873-4333 www.westmoreland.com
Falkirk Mine
- 4 miles south of Underwood. Tour this modern, open-pit mine with two draglines. See coal handling by a cable belt which crosses a four-lane highway before you drive into the pit of this strip-mining operation. Owned and operated by Falkirk Mining Company. Supplies lignite to the Coal Creek Station. Season: Year-round, M-F, business hours, guided tours by appointment, 24-hour notice required. Minimum time: 1½ hours. 701-442-5751 http://www.nacoal.com/operations/falkirk.html
FPL Energy
- Forty-one (41) 1.5 megawatt wind turbines produce enough energy for 19,000 homes. This acreage is 10 square miles and can be viewed in the south-central part of North Dakota in the Edgeley and Kulm areas. Interpretive panels are located on site. 701-493-2897 http://www.fplenergy.com/
Freedom Mine
- 8 miles north of Beulah, operated by Coteau Properties Company. This supplies lignite to the Antelope Valley Station, Great Plains Synfuels Plant, Stanton Station and Leland Olds Station. This tour includes coal-mining procedure and reclamation. See enormous electric-powered walking draglines with a bucket capacity of 150 tons. Season: Year-round, M-F, 9 am-3 pm (MT); need 24-hour notice. Minimum time: 1 hour. 701-873-2281 http://www.nacoal.com/operations/coteau.html
Minnkota Power Cooperative - Milton R. Young Station
- 5 miles east, 4 miles south of Center. Lignite-fired electric generating station, two units. Owned by Minnkota Power Cooperative. Season: Year-round, M-F, 9 am-3 pm (MT); tours by appointment, 24 hour notice. Minimum time: 30 minutes. 701-794-8711 http://www.minnkota.com/
Garrison Dam
- At Riverdale. This hydroelectric generating facility has a capacity of 575,000 KW. It is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Season: Memorial Day - Labor Day, regular tours (walk-in) W. F. Sa. at 2pm. Scheduled tours-year-round: Groups of 10 or more require appointments. Tours from March-May; M. W. and F; 10 am-2 pm. June-February–M-F; 11am-3pm. Minimum time: 45 minutes. 701-654-7441
Please contact the following for additional information:
Bismarck-Mandan Convention & Visitors Bureau
|
|
|
|
|
|
