ELK RIVER
OperatingBiomass power plant
- Capacity
- 12 MW
- Primary fuel
- Biomass
- County
- Sherburne County
- Operator
- CITY OF ELK RIVER
- Status
- Operating
- EIA plant ID
- 1971
- Coordinates
- 45.3047, -93.5847
ELK RIVER, a 12 MW Biomass power plant in Sherburne County, Minnesota. Operated by CITY OF ELK RIVER. One of 255 power plants tracked in Minnesota on Bywatts.
Weather peril exposure
ELK RIVER is a 12 MW biomass power plant in Sherburne County, MN, operated by CITY OF ELK RIVER. Sherburne County carries high modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.8 of 5 at the 70th national percentile. Strong wind is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 92nd percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a biomass plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Sherburne County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 92nd | 4.7 of 5 | 4.0 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 84th | 4.4 of 5 | 3.4 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 74th | 4.0 of 5 | 6.1 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 64th | 3.6 of 5 | 0.21 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 0.28 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 44th | 2.8 of 5 | 0.48 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 31st | 2.3 of 5 | 33.6 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 2nd | 1.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 1st | 1.0 of 5 | 16.8 |
Perils not assessed in Sherburne 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 Sherburne 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.