August 9, 2009
This area of North Dakota has lots of power plants, some of which are along the Missouri River, but many of which, like this one pictured above called “Antelope Valley,” are located out on the prairies where there is a vein of anthracite coal nearby. Anthracite here is found near the surface so that underground mines are not necessary. The top soil is cleared away and the coal is scooped up by a huge drag line which is like a crane five stories high and hundreds of feet long.
The other photo shows me standing by Lyle’s truck which is dwarfed by an old “drag line bucket” which has a capacity to scoop up several hundred yards of coal at one time. Lyle says that when an anthracite vein is exhausted, the power company is required to reclaim the prairie and put everything back just the way it was before mining was started.
North Dakota exports a lot of energy which is created here. Minnesota Power has purchased coal-fired power plants in North Dakota and leased wind farms in order to comply with the new energy laws, according to Lyle, who was a steelworker on some of the plants in this area.
Don Syverson, a retired plant manager who works here at Cross Ranch, says there are presently seven or eight power plants in the immediate area covering three counties.
This area of North Dakota has lots of power plants, some of which are along the Missouri River, but many of which, like this one pictured above called “Antelope Valley,” are located out on the prairies where there is a vein of anthracite coal nearby. Anthracite here is found near the surface so that underground mines are not necessary. The top soil is cleared away and the coal is scooped up by a huge drag line which is like a crane five stories high and hundreds of feet long.
The other photo shows me standing by Lyle’s truck which is dwarfed by an old “drag line bucket” which has a capacity to scoop up several hundred yards of coal at one time. Lyle says that when an anthracite vein is exhausted, the power company is required to reclaim the prairie and put everything back just the way it was before mining was started.
North Dakota exports a lot of energy which is created here. Minnesota Power has purchased coal-fired power plants in North Dakota and leased wind farms in order to comply with the new energy laws, according to Lyle, who was a steelworker on some of the plants in this area.
Don Syverson, a retired plant manager who works here at Cross Ranch, says there are presently seven or eight power plants in the immediate area covering three counties.
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