great river energy

Startup delay: Economy pushes opening of GRE plant operations to 2012

A slow economy and a lagging demand for electricity will delay the start of operations at the Great River Energy plant at Spiritwood, according to Rick Lancaster, vice president for generation for GRE. “There are a couple of reasons for this,” he said. “The slowdown in the market due to the recession means that prices and demand are down and, because we are a cooperative, we charge rates based on assets in service and by delaying the operations we can give our rate payers a break.”

By Keith Norman , May 28, 2010

RELATED CONTENT

Talk about this topic

GRE continues moving forward on biorefinery

Great River Energy presented its plans to develop the country’s first biorefinery near Spiritwood at the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. Board meeting Monday. Greg Ridderbusch, GRE’s vice president of business development and strategy, and Sandra Broekema, GRE’s manager of business development, explained the steps the company’s taking. A Danish company, Inbicon A/S, has developed the technology to manufacture cellulosic ethanol, Broekema said. It has a demonstration plant making ethanol from wheat straw in Kalundborg, Denmark.

April 13, 2010

RELATED CONTENT

Talk about this topic

Broekema speaks on GRE at Kiwanis

Six Kiwanis members attended a roundtable meeting at The Depot March 15 instead of the regular Kiwanis meeting. Fifteen Kiwanis members attended the Chamber’s Ag Week Noon Luncheon at the Gladstone Inn & Suites March 17. Kiwanis was recognized as having the largest representation of members in attendance of all the Jamestown service clubs.

March 23, 2010

GRE construction continues: Two years of cold, snowy weather have hampered efforts

About 420 construction workers are building inside and out on Great River Energy’s Spiritwood Station in a race to meet the Oct. 1 online date for the power plant. And for the second winter, snow and cold weather hamper the work on the coal-fired power and heat plant near Spiritwood. Dennis Pozarnsky, GRE construction site manager, said within about 10 days, the number of workers will climb to more than 500 as temperatures begin to warm.

February 24, 2010

RELATED CONTENT

More than 6,000 items collected for food pantry

Employees at Great River Energy’s Spiritwood Station construction site donated more than 6,200 items and $6,300 toward the food pantry at Community Action in Jamestown.

By Sun Staff , October 31, 2009

RELATED CONTENT

Image

Spiritwood Station contractors organize heavy-duty food drive

Area residents new to town are holding a fundraiser as a way to say “thank you” to the people who welcomed them here. The 460 employees working at Great River Energy’s Spiritwood Station construction site are raising money and non-perishable food items for Community Action’s food pantry. As of Wednesday, the five crafts on the project — administrators, pipe fitters, iron workers, boilermakers/millwrights and civil crew — had raised about $1,800 in cash and collected more than 4,000 food items, said Dee Pickering, administrator of document control.

By By Katie Ryan, The Jamestown Sun , October 29, 2009

RELATED CONTENT

Group to meet with Great River Energy

A group of state officials, utility industry representatives and others concerned with “green” architecture and energy conservation will visit Great River Energy’s headquarters in Maple Grove, Minn. A bus will leave from Bismarck on Monday and make stops in Jamestown and Fargo to pick riders up.

September 18, 2009

GRE boosting workers at plant site

In an effort to get as close to its original schedule as possible, construction officials at Great River Energy’s $276 million power plant near Spiritwood are adding another 120 workers. Already at the 500 mark, Dennis Pozarnsky, GRE’s construction site manager, said Friday in a telephone interview that within weeks a total of 620 workers will be on site.

August 17, 2009

RELATED CONTENT

Hoeven seeks support for energy projects

Gov. John Hoeven was in Washington, D.C. Wednesday urging the U.S. Department of Energy to support North Dakota renewable and traditional energy projects, including support for Great River Energy’s proposed expansion at Spiritwood Station near Jamestown.

July 29, 2009

GRE working to catch up on project

The tough winter and worse spring hampered construction of Great River Energy’s $276 million power plant near this town, so officials are ramping up the number of workers to catch up.

June 10, 2009

RELATED CONTENT

Letter to the editor: Why are officials giving GRE a $300,000 grant?

I was truly disheartened to learn about approval of the gift of $300,000 by the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. for a jobs incentive grant for Great River Energy. Why do we continue to give away taxpayer money to companies that have billions of dollars’ worth of assets? I’m sure the business plan that GRE is working with is planning to hire people to run the $356 million power plant.

By Dean Remboldt , April 22, 2009

Committee approves GRE grant

The City Council’s Finance and Legal Committee approved a $300,000 jobs incentive grant for Great River Energy Tuesday, but not without debate. The Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. Board recommended approval of the grant to be funded 80 percent by the city sales tax and 20 percent by the county’s economic development fund. Mayor Clarice Liechty argued that since the GRE power plant is in the county and will receive the property taxes, the 80 percent should come from county funds.

April 22, 2009

JSDC OKs grant to GRE

The Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. Board approved a $300,000 jobs incentive grant for Great River Energy. The grant, which will go to the City Council and County Commission for final approval, is based on 24 full-time jobs once the $356 million power plant is completed. The minimum hourly wage level is $25.50 and the average wage level is $34. Eight of those permanent positions have already been filled and the employees are on site, said Dennis Pozarnsky, construction site manager.

April 14, 2009

GRE gives growth update, explains needs at meeting

About 100 area residents and other interested parties got an update on Great River Energy’s construction of a $276 million power plant at Spiritwood and an explanation of its need for a backup source of water and a second host for its steam at a community meeting Thursday.

December 12, 2008

RELATED CONTENT

Image

Water supply

The City Council’s Public Works Committee Thursday recommended approval of a memorandum of understanding to supply Great River Energy’s Spiritwood Station with a backup supply of gray water.

November 22, 2008