ND consumers to pay more for defunct plant

Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. and Otter Tail Power Co. say North Dakota customers should pay about $13.7 million of the development costs for the Big Stone II plant.

The project in northeastern South Dakota was abandoned last November before construction could begin.

North Dakota's Public Service Commission approved a plan to have MDU and Otter Tail customers in North Dakota pay a share of Big Stone's costs over three years.

It will raise the bill of a typical MDU residential customer by $1.49 a month, starting August 1. Otter Tail customers will be paying an extra 62 cents a month.