Minnesota-based Great River Energy on Friday announced plans to retire its Stanton Station coal-fired power plant by May 2017. The company has determined that the facility, located near Stanton in Mercer County, N.D., “is no longer economic to operate with current low prices in the regional energy market,” according to a Great River Energy press release.
The plant has been operational for 50 years. “After careful consideration of several alternatives, it became clear that retiring the plant was in the best interest of our member cooperatives,” David Saggau, Great River Energy president and CEO, said in the release. “We are making every effort to minimize impacts on our employees and the community through this transition.”
The Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign hailed the development as a victory for the environment. “Today’s decision will put an end to the Stanton Station coal plant’s 50-year legacy of mercury, arsenic, and other toxic pollutants that have threatened the health of North Dakota families. Now, it’s time for Great River Energy to ensure that workers, communities and those impacted by this announcement are not left behind as we transition away from coal,” Michelle Rosier, senior campaign representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in North Dakota, said in a press release.
