Great River Energy is a minority owner of the ethanol project, as well as a supplier. Waste steam from the plant will be used as a heat source in the corn fermentation process.

It is a win-win-win situation for Great River Energy, said Cox. Waste heat that would go up the stack becomes a saleable product. The area economy is helped by the new business. And eventually a stronger business environment may trickle down to North Itasca Electric through its own ownership of Great River Energy.

The group was able to see the construction work from the roof of the power plant. Part of the tour is a visit to the 21st story, where the landscape is dramatic...and on the day North Itasca Electric members visited, windy. Cox recalled the tour guide quipped; “If your hard hat blows off, don’t try to catch it!”

The group was not able to go into the coal mine because of the rain, but they had the opportunity to see a video on the process. One of the most amazing things, said Wes Waller, is not the mining, but the process of restoring the land after mining is complete. Before new land is opened up, it is completely mapped in three dimensions. When mining is finished, the land is not only restored to its original topography, but the fertility must be at least equal to that of surrounding fields. So far, he said, it has never failed to meet that goal.

Another thing that is amazing about Coal Creek, he pointed out, is its cleanliness. With a huge factory setting using coal that is pulverized to the consistency of talcum powder, you would expect layers of dust. Yet it is spotless anywhere you go in the plant, he said.

Another of the eye-opening features of a trip to Coal Creek, said Marlene Swang, is the realization of the amount of effort required to bring a product to your home that is taken for granted – electricity.

Several other stops were made on the tour. One location demonstrated the properties of the concrete made from Coal Creek fly ash. Sales of the byproduct have become very profitable for GRE, said Cox. And the fly ash produces a lightweight but strong building material.

The scheduled evening cruise on the Missouri River was canceled because of the weather. But the meal was still held on the boat – with views of white caps!

The tour also stopped at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site where there were historic village sites for Plains Indians of 3,000-5,000 people. A certain kind of flint found only in this area, explained Waller, has been found in arrowheads all over the world.

“We had a good time,” said Cox... “a super nice group of people.”