Missouri River Energy Services on Aug. 7 announced that it has submitted a facility permit application to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission to construct the Toronto Power Plant -- a natural gas-fired generating facility located two miles north of Toronto, South Dakota.
The proposed facility will feature four combustion turbine-generators with a combined output of 145 megawatts. It is designed to provide reliable, on-demand electricity to help meet growing regional energy needs, MRES said.
The project also includes a tap into an existing natural gas pipeline, construction of a 4.9-mile 345-kilovolt transmission line and a connection to a substation that accesses the regional energy market.
“As our public power communities continue to grow, along with their energy consumption, we’re taking proactive steps to ensure reliability and affordability,” said Terry Wolf, vice president and chief operating officer at MRES. “The Toronto Power Plant will provide flexible, fast-start generation that complements the needs of the regional grid today, which helps us deliver reliable power to our municipal electric utilities.”
The project site was carefully selected based on its proximity to existing transmission infrastructure, fuel supply, and to minimize environmental impacts. If approved, construction is expected to begin in spring 2027 with the facility projected to be operational by the end of 2029.
The next step in the regulatory process will be a public input meeting held by the PUC on Sept. 24.
"MRES is committed to working closely with state regulators and local stakeholders to ensure the project is developed responsibly and transparently. The application to the PUC includes detailed information about the facility’s design, environmental considerations and public benefits," it noted.
MRES is a not-for-profit joint-action agency that provides wholesale electricity and energy-related services to 61 member municipalities in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
