EMERADO, N.D. -- The Public Service Commission recently approved a request allowing Minnkota and OtterTail to charge North Dakota customers to provide funds to help build the Big Stone II coal-fired power plant. Ostensibly, the reason for doing this is because of demand for more electricity, which Big Stone II will provide.
Where is this demand? It certainly is not in North Dakota. In fact, North Dakota already exports a lot of electricity. So, why should we pay for power being generated in another state, South Dakota, using coal from another state, Wyoming, to be exported to other states, but not North Dakota?
It would appear that North Dakota residents are going to contribute funds for somebody else's electricity. Maybe somebody in the Public Service Commission will be kind enough to explain this to us.
Bob White
