NorthWestern Energy remains committed to Coyote Generating Station in N.D.

NorthWestern Energy, part owner of the Coyote Generating Station, a coal plant in Beulah, N.D., said it remains committed to the continued operation of the facility.

NorthWestern Energy, which owns a 10 percent stake in the plant, said Coyote Generating Station remains a critical generation energy source and will continue to provide reliable energy for its customers. This statement comes after one of the other joint owners, Otter Tail Power Company, which owns 35 percent of the facility, announced it would withdraw from its ownership stake in 2028. The other co-owners are the Northern Municipal Power Agency and Montana-Dakota Utilities (MDU).

“The joint owners continue to collaborate in analyzing data and weighing decisions that impact the plant, our employees, customers and communities. However, NorthWestern Energy’s ongoing analysis indicates the Coyote Generating Station will continue to provide economic and reliable energy for our customers well into the future absent any new state or federal regulatory requirements or significant increases in operating costs,” company officials said. The company provides electricity to approximately 743,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

NorthWestern Energy’s South Dakota Energy Resource Procurement Plan will be submitted to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission in late 2022. The long-term value of the Coyote Generating Station will be addressed in more detail in that plan.

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), also said he is committed to making sure that the plant stays in operation past 2028 when Otter Tail exits.

“We’ve worked hard to help ensure coal’s continued role in our nation’s energy mix. This includes pressing for coal to be properly valued as a baseload power source that is available 24/7, while also advancing efforts to crack the code on CCUS [carbon capture, utilization and storage] to reduce emissions from coal and a variety of other energy sources,” Hoeven said. “Following Otter Tail Power’s announcement…we look forward to working with the other co-owners of Coyote Station to ensure this vital coal-fired baseload facility continues to provide affordable, reliable power to customers in our region.”