Minnkota plans gas-fired power plant in Cass County, adding to energy development
Minnkota Power Cooperative plans to build a $1 billion natural gas-fired power plant in Harmony Township in Cass County, with construction potentially beginning before power generation starts in 2031 or 2032. The project is intended to strengthen eastern North Dakota’s grid amid rising demand from industrial users and data centers, but local landowners are concerned about the loss of prime farmland.
Minnkota Power Cooperative has purchased land in Harmony Township, north of Mapleton, for a proposed 400-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant estimated to cost $1 billion. President and CEO Mac McLennan told North Dakota legislators that the plant could begin operating in 2031 or 2032, pending regulatory approval. The site would connect to the planned Bakken East Pipeline and is near the Bison Substation.
McLennan said the facility would help address rising electricity demand in eastern North Dakota and improve grid reliability, including demand associated with data centers and artificial intelligence. Applied Digital’s data center near Harwood is expected to require up to 280 megawatts, while Geronimo Power has proposed a 540-megawatt data center near the Bison Substation. Harmony Township landowner Perry Rust testified that expanding energy infrastructure is removing valuable farmland and could threaten the area’s rural way of life.