WESSINGTON SPRINGS
OperatingWind power plant
- Capacity
- 51 MW
- Primary fuel
- Wind
- County
- Jerauld County
- Operator
- NEXTERA ENERGY RESOURCES
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2009
- EIA plant ID
- 56650
- Generators
- 1
- Technology
- Onshore Wind Turbine
- Net generation (2024)
- 231 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 52%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 44.0523, -98.5906
WESSINGTON SPRINGS, a 51 MW Wind power plant in Jerauld County, South Dakota. Operated by NEXTERA ENERGY RESOURCES, commissioned 2009.
How WESSINGTON SPRINGS compares
With 51 MW of capacity, WESSINGTON SPRINGS ranks 15th among the 28 operating power plants Bywatts maps in South Dakota and 5th of the 8 operating Wind plants in the state. It accounts for about 6.5% of South Dakota's operating Wind capacity and 1.2% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 372nd-largest of the 708 operating Wind plants in the database. Commissioned in 2009, it is newer than 73% of the 26 operating South Dakota plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, NEXTERA ENERGY RESOURCES, runs 3 operating plants in South Dakota totaling 191 MW. It shares Jerauld County with one other operating plant, PRAIRIEWINDS SD1.
EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 51 MW of nameplate capacity, all onshore wind turbine technology. Net generation was 231 GWh in 2024 (a 52% capacity factor), down 8% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by WAPA-- WESTERN AREA POWER ADMINISTRATION, about 5.7 miles away. One other operating power plant sits within 25 miles: PRAIRIEWINDS SD1 (162 MW, Wind).
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
WESSINGTON SPRINGS is a 51 MW wind power plant in Jerauld County, SD, operated by NEXTERA ENERGY RESOURCES, commissioned in 2009. Jerauld County carries elevated modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.4 of 5 at the 60th national percentile. Winter weather is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 88th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a wind plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Jerauld County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 88th | 4.5 of 5 | 16.1 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 87th | 4.5 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 86th | 4.4 of 5 | 5.7 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 86th | 4.4 of 5 | 0.49 |
| Strong wind | Very Low | 77th | 4.1 of 5 | 2.9 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 74th | 4.0 of 5 | 0.27 |
| Riverine flooding | Very Low | 64th | 3.6 of 5 | 0.29 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 64th | 3.6 of 5 | 4.4 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 42nd | 2.7 of 5 | 35.4 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 23rd | 1.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Jerauld 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 Jerauld 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.