GRANITE CITY
Retired 2019Natural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 72 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Benton County
- Operator
- XCEL ENERGY
- EIA plant ID
- 1910
- Coordinates
- 45.5760, -94.1421
GRANITE CITY, a retired 72 MW Natural Gas power plant in Benton County, Minnesota. It was retired in 2019, according to EIA-860.
How GRANITE CITY compares
It was retired in 2019 according to EIA-860, so it is not counted in Minnesota's operating fleet. Its operator, XCEL ENERGY, runs 14 operating plants in Minnesota totaling 7,978 MW. It shares Benton County with one other operating plant, SARTELL PAPER MILL.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 115 kV line owned by NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA, under 0.1 miles away. Another 4 operating power plants totaling 3,197 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is SHERCO (2,469 MW, Coal).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records and EIA-860 retirement records; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
GRANITE CITY is a retired 72 MW natural gas power plant in Benton County, MN, formerly operated by XCEL ENERGY. Benton County carries high modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.7 of 5 at the 66th national percentile. Strong wind is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 81st 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.
Benton County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 81st | 4.2 of 5 | 3.6 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 80th | 4.2 of 5 | 2.4 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 72nd | 3.9 of 5 | 5.5 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 64th | 3.6 of 5 | 0.22 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 63rd | 3.5 of 5 | 0.39 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 41st | 2.6 of 5 | 0.39 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 32nd | 2.3 of 5 | 32.7 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 2nd | 1.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 1st | 1.0 of 5 | 16.9 |
Perils not assessed in Benton 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 Benton 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.