BLUE LAKE

How BLUE LAKE compares

With 559 MW of capacity, BLUE LAKE ranks 9th among the 215 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Minnesota and 3rd of the 26 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 10% of Minnesota's operating Natural Gas capacity and 3.4% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 291st-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 1974, it is older than 70% of the 200 operating Minnesota plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, XCEL ENERGY, runs 14 operating plants in Minnesota totaling 7,978 MW. It shares Scott County with one other operating plant, KODA BIOMASS PLANT.

EIA-860 lists 6 generators at the site with 559 MW of nameplate capacity, mainly natural gas fired combustion turbine technology. Net generation was 318 GWh in 2024 (a 6.5% capacity factor). Its generators came online between 1974 and 2005.

Grid neighborhood

The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 345 kV line owned by NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA, about 0.1 miles away. Another 20 operating power plants totaling 2,450 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is HIGH BRIDGE (644 MW, Natural Gas). Within 50 miles are 2 mapped data centers; the nearest is Cologix MIN1 in Minneapolis, about 15.5 miles away.

Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records, EIA-860/923 survey data and PeeringDB data center locations; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology