FORT RANDALL
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 320 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Charles Mix County
- Operator
- USCE-MISSOURI RIVER DISTRICT
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1954
- EIA plant ID
- 3373
- Generators
- 8
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 1,579 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 56%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 43.0652, -98.5535
FORT RANDALL, a 320 MW Hydro power plant in Charles Mix County, South Dakota. Operated by USCE-MISSOURI RIVER DISTRICT, commissioned 1954.
How FORT RANDALL compares
With 320 MW of capacity, FORT RANDALL ranks 6th among the 28 operating power plants Bywatts maps in South Dakota and is the smallest of the 3 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 20% of South Dakota's operating Hydro capacity and 7.6% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 63rd-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1954, it is older than 92% of the 26 operating South Dakota plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, USCE-MISSOURI RIVER DISTRICT, runs 3 operating plants in South Dakota totaling 1,598 MW.
EIA-860 lists 8 generators at the site with 320 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 1,579 GWh in 2024 (a 56% capacity factor), up 9% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1954 and 1956.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by NORTHWESTERN ENERGY - (SD), under 0.1 miles away.
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
FORT RANDALL is a 320 MW hydro power plant in Charles Mix County, SD, operated by USCE-MISSOURI RIVER DISTRICT, commissioned in 1954. Charles Mix County carries high modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.5 of 5 at the 63rd national percentile. Heat wave is the leading peril, rated Very Low by FEMA at the 95th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a hydro plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Charles Mix County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat wave | Very Low | 95th | 4.8 of 5 | 6.3 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 93rd | 4.7 of 5 | 15.5 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 82nd | 4.3 of 5 | 0.60 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 78th | 4.1 of 5 | 0.60 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 75th | 4.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 69th | 3.7 of 5 | 5.0 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 52nd | 3.1 of 5 | 1.7 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 42nd | 2.7 of 5 | 2.6 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 34th | 2.4 of 5 | 37.3 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 27th | 2.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Charles Mix 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 Charles Mix 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.