ELK RIVER
OperatingBiomass power plant
- Capacity
- 239 MW
- Primary fuel
- Biomass
- County
- Sherburne County
- Operator
- GREAT RIVER ENERGY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2009
- EIA plant ID
- 2039
- Generators
- 1
- Net generation (2024)
- 45.4 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 2.7%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 45.2968, -93.5584
ELK RIVER, a 239 MW Biomass power plant in Sherburne County, Minnesota. Operated by GREAT RIVER ENERGY, commissioned 2009.
How ELK RIVER compares
With 239 MW of capacity, ELK RIVER ranks 17th among the 215 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Minnesota and is the largest of the 12 operating Biomass plants in the state. It accounts for about 38% of Minnesota's operating Biomass capacity and 1.5% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the largest of the 350 operating Biomass plants in the database. Commissioned in 2009, it is newer than 85% of the 200 operating Minnesota plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, GREAT RIVER ENERGY, runs 8 operating plants in Minnesota totaling 1,550 MW. It shares Sherburne County with 2 other operating plants, SHERCO and ELK RIVER PEAKING STATION.
Under the same EIA plant code, EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 191 MW of nameplate capacity (this page's HIFLD capacity figure is 239 MW). Net generation was 45.4 GWh in 2024 (a 2.7% capacity factor).
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line, about 0.2 miles away. Another 6 operating power plants totaling 3,802 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is SHERCO (2,469 MW, Coal). Within 50 miles are 2 mapped data centers; the nearest is Implex Minneapolis in Minneapolis, about 24.9 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
Weather peril exposure
ELK RIVER is a 239 MW biomass power plant in Sherburne County, MN, operated by GREAT RIVER ENERGY, commissioned in 2009. 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.