A miracle on the prairie? A subsidiary of Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Dakota Gasification does not turn water into wine, but it does the next best thing, it turns coal into natural gas. The Great Plains Synfuels Plant harnesses the abundant lignite resources underlying the North Dakota prairie. Through a complex gasification process the company transforms more than 6 million tons of coal into more than 54 billion standard cu. ft of natural gas annually, which is then used to supply homes and businesses across the Eastern US. In addition to natural gas, the company's Synfuels plant produces carbon dioxide, fertilizers, solvents, phenol, and other chemicals.