Cass County Station Expansion and Upgrades

For the latest happenings at the Cass County Station site location, please see the News Feed at the bottom of this page.

Electrical infrastructure improvements are needed in Cass County to accommodate the growing demand for electricity across all customer categories. The new infrastructure supports the long-range planning of OPPD’s balanced portfolio of energy-generation resources.

OPPD is expanding operations at its Cass County Station (CCS) to include three new dual-fuel generators, bringing the total number of units on the site to five. Each new unit can generate up to 225 megawatts (MW) of electricity. Once construction is complete and the new units are available, the total capacity at the site will be about 1,000 MW.

These additions are part of an OPPD plan that will nearly double the utility’s ability to produce energy in the next 10 years. The plan, approved by the OPPD’s board of directors in August 2023, totals nearly 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of new thermal and renewable generation.

This growth in generation will allow OPPD to establish reliable power for our customers and meet regulatory requirements for decades to come.

Cass County Station Expansion Work

Our plans for Cass County Station are beginning to progress. We secured a contract for the new turbines and finalized a contractor (Kiewit) that will perform the engineering, project-related purchasing and construction for the project (also referred to as an EPC contractor).

With our contractor secured, we will have more details about the project soon, including schedules and what to expect as construction progresses. Construction activities are expected to begin in March 2025.

Cass County Station expansion work includes:

Adding three, dual-fuel, simple-cycle combustion turbines.

Expanding and modifying the existing substation at Cass County Station.
Installing water and fuel-oil storage tanks and converting existing generators to dual-fuel.

Expanding OPPD-owned property to include the adjoining land to support facility needs: additional access to the station, expanded transmission and substation infrastructure, improved security perimeter, additional water wells, and a construction “laydown” yard.

Building a new entrance to the station along 42nd Street, complete with a security checkpoint and new fencing to surround the expanded footprint.

Paving 42nd Street from the new entrance north to Church Road.

Balancing Electricity Supply and Demand

Cass County Station provides a supply of electricity that matches the demand in real-time. This balance is crucial for maintaining the safe and reliable operation of the electrical system. If the demand and supply fall out of balance, it can lead to widespread outages or other service disruptions.

Cass County Station typically operates during periods of high electricity demand, known as peak periods. Using natural gas or fuel oil, Cass County generators can be brought online quickly to meet sudden spikes in electricity demand.

As a balancing station, Cass County Station plays an important role in integrating renewable energy sources like wind and solar into the regional power grid. Renewable energy sources are variable and can be unpredictable. The sun doesn't always shine, and the wind doesn't always blow. To handle the variability of renewable energy, stations like OPPD’s Cass County Station maintain operating reserves. Dual fuel generators at Cass County Station help OPPD constantly adjust to maintain the balance between electricity supply and demand. These generators can be quickly activated if there's a sudden drop in renewable energy production or an unexpected increase in demand.

Why Cass County Station

Cass County Station has the right infrastructure, including access to an adequate natural gas supply, and room for expansion. While OPPD will need to invest in infrastructure upgrades to the facility, those costs would be far less than building at a new location.

Cass County’s location is also important as it relates to the larger electrical grid. OPPD and its regulators have identified the need to strengthen the north-south corridors of the regional grid to expand energy flows across the region, support growth in customer demand across OPPD’s service territory and establish the right energy resources to support reliability and resiliency.

Stay in Touch

As a public power utility, OPPD is committed to engaging customers on upcoming projects and providing transparency around potential impacts on their areas. If you have questions about this project, you may call the project information line at 402-881-8280 or use the Questions widget below.