Milton R Young Power Plant, North Dakota

The Milton R Young Power Plant has two coal-fired units which went online in the 1970s, and together produce more than 700 megawatts of power. It is fed by nearby strip mines south of the town of Center. There are several major power plants fed by local coal strip mines in this area, northwest of Bismarck, and south of lake Sakakawea, including the largest plant in the state. Though these plants are in an unpopulated area, they provide power for the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Minnesota. This plant is connected directly to northern Minnesota by a 450 mile long dedicated DC line called the Square Butte transmission line. Transmission by DC, as opposed to AC, is only done when moving a lot of electricity generated at a remote location, to supply a far away population. This is one of two DC lines connecting plants here to Minnesota. Another 600 mile long DC line connects a plant in Utah to Los Angeles, and another, more than 800 miles long, connects power from Columbia River Dams in Oregon to Los Angeles.