US-based Basin Electric Power Cooperative has selected the Canadian company PCL Industrial Construction Co. (PCL) as the general contractor for the Bison Generation Station, a new USD4bn natural gas-fired power plant in North Dakota, United States (Power Magazine, 09/02/2026). North Dakota is home to the Bakken Formation, one of the largest oil and natural gas-producing regions in the United States, the press release said.
The new 1.5 GW power plant, which secured State approval in August 2025, will be built near the existing Wheelock substation in Williams County. It will feature two 745 MW combined-cycle units and incorporate advanced technology to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. Construction is set to begin soon, with Basin Electric expecting the first unit to come online in early 2029 and the second unit approximately one year later in 2030.
This news comes as the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) recently released its Long-Term Reliability Assessment (LTRA), warning that supply may not grow fast enough to meet rapidly rising demand due to uncertainties and delays in building new power plants and other resources. NERC is a non-profit corporation that promotes the reliability and adequacy of bulk power transmission across the interconnected systems of the continental United States, Canada, and parts of Mexico's Baja California state (Enerdata Power Generation Watch, 03/02/2026).
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