Award: Gas plant
Value: $4 billion project
Location: Williams County, North Dakota
Client: Basin Electric Power Cooperative
After nearly a year spent evaluating prospective builders, Basin Electric Power Cooperative has selected PCL Construction to deliver one of the largest power projects in North Dakota’s history — the Bison Generation Station, a natural gas-fueled facility valued at close to $4 billion.
The plant is designed to generate up to 1,490 megawatts, helping the cooperative respond to surging electricity demand across the region. Utility officials say the growth is being driven by expanding industrial activity, manufacturing, data processing centers and steady increases in residential and small-business consumption.
“For a general contractor on a project this size, it’s largely a qualification base selection, which the team has been working on for pretty much all of 2025,” said Chris Bauer, supervisor of structural engineering at Basin Electric, in a video announcing the contractor choice. “We started out casting a wide net of potential candidates, with a pretty simple prequalification process that gave us key details to evaluate those potential project partners.”
The Edmonton, Alberta-based contractor — which operates its U.S. headquarters from Denver — is expected to begin early construction activity this spring. Basin Electric noted that harsh winter conditions in northwest North Dakota typically restrict heavy onsite work, making warm-weather mobilization critical to the schedule.
Until ground activities accelerate, PCL will focus on preparing a detailed mobilization strategy and locking in contracts with key suppliers and subcontractors. Engineering firm Burns & McDonnell of Kansas City, Missouri, is collaborating closely with PCL to align construction packages and equipment procurement with the overall timeline.
The Bison Generation Station will consist of two approximately 745-megawatt combined-cycle units, making it one of the most significant generation investments ever undertaken by the cooperative. Once operational, the facility is expected to strengthen grid reliability and provide long-term price stability for member utilities across several states.
According to Basin Electric, demand in the Upper Midwest has accelerated faster than earlier forecasts, particularly from energy-intensive industries and large data processing facilities moving into the region. The new plant is intended to ensure sufficient baseload power while complementing renewable resources already on the system.
The cooperative expects the first unit to reach commercial operation in early 2029, with the second unit following roughly a year later in 2030.
Project leaders emphasized that success will depend on tight coordination among the contractor, engineer and major equipment vendors as fabrication timelines progress. Supply-chain constraints and transportation logistics remain top considerations for such a remote location.
Basin Electric said the facility will eventually rank among the largest electric generation assets in its portfolio, reinforcing North Dakota’s role as a major energy producer for the broader Midwest market.
Originally reported by Sebastian Obando, Reporter in Construction Dive.
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