BLUE LAKE
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 559 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Scott County
- Operator
- XCEL ENERGY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1974
- EIA plant ID
- 8027
- Coordinates
- 44.7856, -93.4312
BLUE LAKE, a 559 MW Natural Gas power plant in Scott County, Minnesota. Operated by XCEL ENERGY, commissioned 1974.
Weather peril exposure
BLUE LAKE is a 559 MW natural gas power plant in Scott County, MN, operated by XCEL ENERGY, commissioned in 1974. Scott County carries high modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 4.1 of 5 at the 77th national percentile. Strong wind is the leading peril, rated Very High by FEMA at the 99th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a natural gas plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Scott County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong wind | Very High | 99th | 5.0 of 5 | 4.7 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 92nd | 4.7 of 5 | 6.3 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 80th | 4.2 of 5 | 0.30 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 78th | 4.1 of 5 | 6.5 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 44th | 2.7 of 5 | 37.4 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 41st | 2.6 of 5 | 1.0 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 39th | 2.6 of 5 | 0.44 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 35th | 2.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 12th | 1.5 of 5 | 17.5 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 1st | 1.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Scott County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Scott County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.