The Sidney herald., 1958-02-13
MDU Plant


Continued from Page 1
the control room will permit Sys
tenn Dispatches in Bismarck Of
Glendive to instruct plant oper'
ators as to switching and loac
regulation.
The 1890 volts delivered by
the generator is insufficient cleo
trical pressure" for economic
transmission over long distances
* the plant is equipped with d
step-up substation to raise the
majority of the power to $4,000
volts. The balance is raised to
$1,000 volts and fed into an ex-
listing $1,000 volt line, supplying
power to Williston, Glendive and
intervening towns including Sid
ney.
Two $4,000 volt power lines
will be connected into the 1850 0
volt transmission line of the
Bureau of Reclamation, which
runs parallel to the Yellowstone
River just west of Sidney. MDU
Co. and the Bureau have extend
ed the provisions of their long
existing operating agreements and
contracts TO provide for wheel
ing" power V e. each others
transmission lines, to the mutual
advantage of each and the eco
nomic and service advantage to
electric consumers. The MDU
Co. USBR agreement is an ex-
ample of a partnership program"
that eliminates costly duplication
of facilities.
COMPLETION
The Sidney plant will be sub
stantially completed in August
1858 and after test operation, is
expected to go into commercial
operation in September 1858.
A permanent staff of 80 men
will operate and maintain the
plant. Some of these will be ex-
perienced engineers and operators
selected from other MDU plants
and transferred to Sidney: others
will be hired locally. Additional
men will be required TO mine the
coal the plant requires. Still 9TH
ers will be indirectly affected and
employed on the railroad coal
haul, delivering plant chemical
requirements and services and
supplies to the families of men
who viii move to Sidney and
Savage.
MDU Co. officials point out
that ownership of the company
and all its properties is vested in
approximately l2,400 direct share
holders and thousands more thru
ownership of bonds and through
their savings in banks, insurance !
companies and other financial in :
sttutlons. They also feel that the
Sidney plant is physical evidence !
the faith these folks exhibit
in the American system of free !
enterprise by putting their saw {
lngs to work providing the tools
and facilities for more employ
ment IN, and continued growth in
Montana and the Dakotas, of a
business managed, taxpaying en- ]
terpriSe, fairly regulated by the
agencies of the public it serves. +
The 1884 employees in the MDU /
organization are anxious to have
he Sidney Station and its per- 4
onnel accepted as good neigh
'ors, in the community to serve" e
An important event occurred on |;
une 6, 1856, with the ground t
reaking ceremonies of the MDU /
Plant at Sidney. This plant
e~preSents the 1st large scale use 3
f Montana's huge Ignite coal F
eserves and portends new eco Il
omic activity for this area. Ac- Ii
ording to the Sidney Chamber of d
officials, the utilization Al
+ local are labor and use of II
ocal contractors has been of great 81
enefit to many. W
Thomas Edison'S 111th birthday al
anniversary is being noted on h,
tuesday,, during National Electri- lie
Week. Montanans are remind m
d Of the Importance of electrici-
Y and the electrical industry to v,
ne social and economic strength e.
the state. The status report of III
ne MDU plant is most fitting OF
his week and is dramatic proof
the value of electricity in Mon II
ana and of the great strides be- a,
lg made by the industry. The
ommunity Statutes" the electri- in
al industry. 10