FRENCH ISLAND
OperatingBiomass power plant
- Capacity
- 188 MW
- Primary fuel
- Biomass
- County
- La Crosse County
- Operator
- NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1940
- EIA plant ID
- 4005
- Generators
- 4
- Net generation (2024)
- 61.2 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 3.7%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 43.8291, -91.2597
FRENCH ISLAND, a 188 MW Biomass power plant in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. Operated by NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA, commissioned 1940.
How FRENCH ISLAND compares
With 188 MW of capacity, FRENCH ISLAND ranks 20th among the 141 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Wisconsin and is the largest of the 12 operating Biomass plants in the state. It accounts for about 58% of Wisconsin's operating Biomass capacity and 1.2% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 2nd-largest of the 350 operating Biomass plants in the database. Commissioned in 1940, it is older than 64% of the 141 operating Wisconsin plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA, runs 18 operating plants in Wisconsin totaling 806 MW. It shares La Crosse County with one other operating plant, ONALASKA CAMPUS LANDFILL BIOGAS.
Under the same EIA plant code, EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 188 MW of nameplate capacity. Net generation was 61.2 GWh in 2024 (a 3.7% capacity factor). Its generators came online between 1940 and 1974.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is GENOA (161 kV), about 18.6 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 161 kV line owned by NORTHERN STATES POWER CO, about 1.0 miles away. Another 3 operating power plants totaling 10 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is CASHTON GREENS WIND FARM (5 MW, Wind).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
FRENCH ISLAND is a 188 MW biomass power plant in La Crosse County, WI, operated by NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA, commissioned in 1940. La Crosse County carries critical modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 4.4 of 5 at the 84th national percentile. Hail is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 87th 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.
La Crosse County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | 87th | 4.5 of 5 | 3.6 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 82nd | 4.3 of 5 | 35.9 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 57th | 3.3 of 5 | 3.7 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 54th | 3.1 of 5 | 0.20 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 40th | 2.6 of 5 | 16.3 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 30th | 2.2 of 5 | 2.3 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 20th | 1.8 of 5 | 3.0 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 18th | 1.7 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 5th | 1.2 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 4th | 1.2 of 5 | 0.13 |
Perils not assessed in La Crosse 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 "No Rating" for this county |
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for La Crosse 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.