July 13, 2015 - The Ben French Power Plant in Rapid City was a reliable source of electricity for customers of Black Hills Power (BHP) for more than 50 years. The coal-fired plant, with its 200-foot stack serving as a prominent Rapid City landmark, will soon be gone.

"The Ben French Power Plant was a pivotal asset to the region's economic growth and public welfare from 1961 until its recent retirement," said Vance Crocker, vice president of operations for BHP. "The power plant was key to our ability to reliably serve our customers throughout the Black Hills region these past 50 years."

Ben French was retired to meet new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air emissions standards. The most economical replacement for customers was to build the new Cheyenne Prairie Generating Station, an efficient natural gas power plant located in Cheyenne, Wyo.

"The new Cheyenne Prairie Generating Station demonstrates Black Hills Power's commitment to ensure that our customers have a reliable electricity for decades to come," Crocker said. Cheyenne Prairie began serving BHP customers in 2014.

Work to safely remove and decommission the power plant and reclaim the site at the Black Hills Power Service Center on Deadwood Ave. is scheduled to begin on July 15 and be completed by year-end. Independence Excavating, a national contractor, will provide turnkey removal of the plant. During decommissioning, customers will still be able to conduct normal business at the Service Center.

The Rapid City Service Center will continue to serve our customers and house our existing 145 employees. The site will also continue to house four smaller power generators, used during times of high electric demand.

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