THOMSON

How THOMSON compares

With 73 MW of capacity, THOMSON ranks 40th among the 215 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Minnesota and is the largest of the 16 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 41% of Minnesota's operating Hydro capacity and 0.4% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 227th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1907, it is older than 99% of the 200 operating Minnesota plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, MINNESOTA POWER INC, runs 15 operating plants in Minnesota totaling 1,435 MW. It shares Carlton County with 4 other operating plants, including SAPPI CLOQUET MILL and MOOSE LAKE.

EIA-860 lists 6 generators at the site with 73 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 290 GWh in 2024 (a 46% capacity factor), down 13% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1907 and 1949.

Grid neighborhood

The nearest named substation is STINSON (161 kV), about 13.3 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 115 kV line owned by MINNESOTA POWER INC, under 0.1 miles away. Another 6 operating power plants totaling 193 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is SAPPI CLOQUET MILL (95 MW, Biomass). Within 50 miles is one mapped data center, Duluth Missabe in Duluth, about 14.1 miles away.

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