BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Coal production in North Dakota dropped 8% in 2019, compared to the prior year.
The state’s five coal mines produced 27.2 million tons of lignite, according to a trade group.
The Lignite Energy Council says the reduction was mainly due to major outages at various power plants and maintenance at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant.
The council represents lignite producers, electric utilities and about 250 industry-related businesses.
“The lower tonnage in 2019 also resulted partially from electricity produced from other sources including natural gas, wind generation and the Garrison Dam, which put pressure on lignite-based power plants in the state,” Jason Bohrer, the council’s president and CEO, told t he Bismarck Tribune.
North Dakota has seven lignite-based power plants, which consist of 12 individual units. Normally, each unit has a major outage every three years.
Coal production in North Dakota has held steady over the past decade despite the national decline of the coal industry.
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