The Williams County Commission on an affirmative roll call approved a declaration of official intent that Basin Electric said would permit the county to serve as issuer for possible tax‑exempt “conduit” bonds to help finance the company’s planned Bison generation station near Epping.

Basin Electric presenter Matthew Koehling said the project is a natural‑gas fired combined‑cycle electric generating facility of about 1,400 megawatts with a budgeted capital cost of $3,900,000,000. "We are targeting commercial operation in 02/1930," Koehling said in the presentation. He told commissioners the company expects about 40–50 full‑time employees once the plant is operational and roughly 1,000 construction jobs during the build phase.

The declaration of official intent would allow the county to issue tax‑exempt conduit bonds and loan the proceeds to Basin Electric to reimburse qualifying project costs, Koehling said. He told the commission that roughly 10% of the project cost — about $400,000,000, based on his estimate — might qualify for conduit financing, which could lower interest expense for the project. "Basin Electric would be the obligor on the bonds. We would be the only party that is responsible for repayment of those bonds," Koehling said. He added that Basin Electric would pay the county’s issuance costs and legal fees associated with any bond transaction.

Why it matters: county approval of the declaration starts the clock for IRS reimbursement rules and is a preliminary, nonbinding step that does not obligate the county to issue bonds, county staff said during the presentation. The commission’s declaration does not commit the county to an issuance; if the county later declines to proceed the company said it would continue the project without county conduit financing but would face higher interest costs.

What the presentation said about permits and schedule: Koehling told the commission the North Dakota Public Service Commission had granted site approval and that most road and transmission easements are in place. He said a state stormwater permit and a county grading plan have conditional approvals, and an air permit application remains under review by the Department of Environmental Quality. On equipment contracts, Koehling said major turbine contracts were being executed.

Discussion and questions: Commissioners asked about gas usage and local impacts. A commissioner asked for an estimate of gas consumption per day for a 1.4‑gigawatt plant; Koehling said he did not have that number available at the meeting but described gas use as "significant at 1.4 gigawatts" and reiterated the project’s aim to capture and add value to local natural gas rather than flaring. He also described siting considerations: proximity to fuel and large local power demand.

Formal action: A motion to approve the declaration of official intent was made, seconded and passed by roll call. Commissioners recorded votes as "Yes" from Steve, Corey, Poe, Chris and Mary; the motion carrier recorded "Motion carried." The county staff clarified that the commission’s vote authorized the chairman to sign the declaration on behalf of the county.

Background and finance context: Koehling described conduit bond authority under North Dakota Century Code §40‑57 and Internal Revenue Code §142 and said conduit bonds historically are used for projects with a government nexus (stormwater, utilities, some housing and hospitals). He said Basin Electric would work with an engineering firm and investment bank to identify the portion of costs that qualify for tax‑exempt reimbursement and that expenses incurred before a declaration are not eligible for reimbursement.

Next steps: County staff said they will continue drafting a formal program and policy for any conduit financing requests and that future fee schedules and program rules would be brought to the commission for approval. Basin Electric said it will continue permitting and contract work independent of the county decision.

Ending: Commissioners approved the declaration as a procedural authorization; county officials and Basin Electric said additional agreements, bond documents and legal reviews would be required before any bonds are issued.