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- Aug 28, 202690% CONFIDENCEfrom the source · possible Aug 27 – 28, 2026
Oliver County Board Tables Base Electron Power Plant Rezoning
- On the evening of 27 August 2026 the Oliver County Planning and Zoning Board held preliminary hearings on Base Electron's request to rezone about 312 acres from agricultural to industrial and on its conditional use permit for a 1,200 MW natural gas power plant about four miles west and two miles south of Center, North Dakota[1][2].
- The plant, called the Missouri Bend Energy Center, is the 1.2 GW project Babcock & Wilcox is to design and build for Base Electron to power Applied Digital's AI data centres; Base Electron's brochure says B&W will lead construction, starting in the second quarter of 2027, with operation in the second half of 2030[3][4].
- Base Electron's Bryant Fortner said the project was still in design, with geotechnical studies underway, water from Nelson Lake or the Missouri River under study (500,000 to 1 million gallons a day), and six to nine months of state permitting still ahead[1][5].
- Adjacent landowner Steve Frickey said the company had cancelled group meetings with landowners on 17 and 27 August; board member Troy Hatzenbihler moved to table until Base Electron met more landowners[1].
- The board tabled the rezoning, conditional use permit, building permit and temporary use permit to its next meeting, naming road access, water use and the plant's location within the property as the issues needing more information[1].
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- [1]90%ndenergy.org/Newsletter/Power-on-Power/Oliver-County-Delays-Power-Plant-Decisionsndenergy.org· Posted Sep 28, 2026· Starts Aug 28, 2026 ✓· 21% of score
Stated as done, per WDEA's 28 Aug 2026 newsletter: "The Oliver County Planning and Zoning Board tabled decisions Thursday on a proposed 1,200-megawatt power plant west of Center"; the county's agenda sets the Base Electron rezoning hearing for 7:10 PM on 27 August 2026.
- [2]90%Oliver County: August 27, 2026 Planning & Zoning Meeting agendaolivercountynd.org· Added Sep 28, 2026· Starts Aug 27, 2026· 21% of score
The county's own agenda: 7:10 PM zoning map amendment hearing for about 312 acres of the SE 1/4 of Section 25 and NE 1/4 of Section 36, Township 142, Range 85, from agricultural to industrial for a natural gas power plant; conditional use permit #1105 and building permit #1106 for Base Electron's plant.[1]
- [3]80%Missouri Bend Energy Center project brochure (Base Electron)wdeawebsite.blob.core.windows.net· Added Sep 28, 2026· 21% of score
Base Electron's brochure: 1,200 MW near Center, construction start in the second quarter of 2027, completion in the second half of 2030, and construction to be led by Babcock & Wilcox.[1]
- [4]78%Base Electron gas plant to support Oliver County data center (Bismarck Tribune)bismarcktribune.com· Added Sep 28, 2026· 21% of score
Base Electron first presented the 1,200 MW plant to the Oliver County Planning and Zoning Commission on 30 July 2026 to power Applied Digital's data centre campus near Center.[1]
- [5]80%Community Hears Missouri Bend Power Plans (WDEA)ndenergy.org· Published Aug 14, 2026· 17% of score
WDEA on Base Electron's 10 August open house for the Missouri Bend Energy Center: four 300 MW phases from 2027, operation in 2030, 60-70 permanent jobs, 500,000 to 1 million gallons of water a day, air-cooled condensers.[1]
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