JIM FALLS
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 60 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Chippewa County
- Operator
- NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1988
- EIA plant ID
- 4008
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 122 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 23%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 45.0510, -91.2740
JIM FALLS, a 60 MW Hydro power plant in Chippewa County, Wisconsin. Operated by NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA, commissioned 1988.
How JIM FALLS compares
With 60 MW of capacity, JIM FALLS ranks 36th among the 141 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Wisconsin and is the largest of the 56 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 12% of Wisconsin's operating Hydro capacity and 0.4% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 255th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1988, it is newer than 65% 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 Chippewa County with 6 other operating plants, including WHEATON and ELK MOUND.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 60 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 122 GWh in 2024 (a 23% capacity factor), down 4% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is SEVEN MILE (161 kV), about 17.9 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 115 kV line owned by NORTHERN STATES POWER CO, under 0.1 miles away. Another 7 operating power plants totaling 510 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is WHEATON (300 MW, Natural Gas).
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
JIM FALLS is a 60 MW hydro power plant in Chippewa County, WI, operated by NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA, commissioned in 1988. Chippewa County carries elevated modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.3 of 5 at the 57th national percentile. Lightning is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 81st 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.
Chippewa County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 81st | 4.3 of 5 | 33.4 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 70th | 3.8 of 5 | 2.4 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 69th | 3.8 of 5 | 2.4 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 66th | 3.6 of 5 | 2.9 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 53rd | 3.1 of 5 | 0.39 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 51st | 3.1 of 5 | 0.75 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 45th | 2.8 of 5 | 16.7 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 20th | 1.8 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 11th | 1.4 of 5 | 0.41 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 2nd | 1.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Chippewa 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 Chippewa 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.