The Dakota Scout

The Dakota Scout

Share this post

The Dakota Scout
The Dakota Scout
Senator looks to plunge stake in heart of decades old vampire water project

Senator looks to plunge stake in heart of decades old vampire water project

Sen. Erin Tobin is on mission to end project once and for all

Jonathan Ellis's avatar
Jonathan Ellis
Jan 12, 2024
∙ Paid
50

Share this post

The Dakota Scout
The Dakota Scout
Senator looks to plunge stake in heart of decades old vampire water project
2
Share

PIERRE – For more than four decades, the Gregory County Pumped Storage Project has lurked in the background of this south central South Dakota county, menacing nearby landowners.

Originally conceived as a creature of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the project has been like a vampire: alive, to the fear of some locals, and then dead. Then alive, and dead again. Vampire like.

Its most recent revival came when MidAmerican Energy and Missouri River Energy Services sought to jumpstart the project – but eventually abandoned it last year because, as decades of research suggested, it was not feasible.

Still, the project haunted the state priority list of major water projects.

Education committee dismisses school safety bill, cites cost as primary concern

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Dakota Scout to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 The Dakota Scout
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share