Two utilities who co-own the Big Stone power plant in South Dakota will be able to charge their North Dakota customers for a share of installing pollution control equipment on the plant.
The Public Service Commission has okayed those rates. For Otter Tail Power Company customers, it will mean another $2.70 a month, while for MDU customers it will be an additional $1.52 a month.
"What it really comes down to for me is if North Dakota customers want access to reliable, affordable coal generation, you've got to npay the freight for what it costs to run it in South Dakota," said PSC Chairman Brian Kalk. He says South Dakota has a different standard for ambient air quality than North Dakota does. And the PSC early on raised questions about the pollution control technology chosen for Big Stone. Kalk says the good news is -- the final cost for the new scrubbers -- $405 million -- is a lot less than first estimated.
Customers will see that charge starting in their January bills.
