BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — Big things are to come to the northwest corner of the state.

Basin Electric is set to build the largest single-site generation project since the 1980s. Basin Electric plans to construct up to 583 megawatts of natural gas generation.

It will happen near the existing Pioneer Generation Station, located northwest of Williston.

The project is referred to as the Pioneer Generation Station phase four.

Basic Electric is planning to start this project in the spring and will break it down into two building phases.

The Bakken is in need of more power, and the company says this expansion is coming at a great time.

“It’s essentially to help out with some of the increase and the growth up in the Bakken area of North Dakota and we needed a reliable way of doing that and an affordable way and so we settled on basically this natural gas that would be built out,” said Basin Electric Power Cooperative Vice President of Strategic Planning and Communications, Andy Buntrock.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative serves nine different states and has about three million members.

They plan to complete the project by 2026.