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
- 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.
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.