Hydroelectric Power Plants in Minnesota
Every operating hydroelectric power plant in Minnesota on EIA-860M for 2026-07: 23 plants, 94 generating units and 216 MW of nameplate capacity across 17 counties, most of it inside MISO.
As of 2026-07 (inventory dated 2026-07-31) · EIA-860M Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory · eia.gov/…/july_generator2026.xlsx · eia.gov/…/eia860m
- Plants
- 23
- 94 generating units
- Nameplate capacity
- 216 MW
- Counties
- 17
- Grid operator
- MISO
- covers most of these plants
Map of hydroelectric power plants in Minnesota
Every one of the 23 plants is drawn at the coordinate EIA files for it.
Loading map…
- Hydro · 23
List of hydroelectric power plants in Minnesota
Sort by any column. Capacity is nameplate, summed across every generating unit EIA lists at the site.
| ThomsonConventional Hydroelectric | ALLETE, Inc. | Carlton | 72.6 | 6 | 1907 | Operating |
| BlanchardConventional Hydroelectric | ALLETE, Inc. | Morrison | 18 | 3 | 1925 | Operating |
| Twin Cities Hydro LLCConventional Hydroelectric | Twin Cities Hydro LLC | Ramsey | 18 | 4 | 1924 | Operating |
| International Falls PowerConventional Hydroelectric | Boise White Paper LLC | Koochiching | 14.2 | 7 | 1924 | Operating |
| Hennepin IslandConventional Hydroelectric | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hennepin | 13.7 | 5 | 1954 | Operating |
| Fond Du LacConventional Hydroelectric | ALLETE, Inc. | St Louis | 12 | 1 | 1924 | Operating |
| SAF Hydroelectric LLCConventional Hydroelectric | SAF Hydroelectric LLC | Hennepin | 9.6 | 16 | 2011 | Operating |
| Sartell DamConventional Hydroelectric | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Benton | 9.3 | 11 | 1985 | Operating |
| St. Cloud HydroConventional Hydroelectric | St. Cloud Hydroelectric Generation Facility | Stearns | 8.6 | 2 | 1988 | Operating |
| Rapidan Hydro FacilityConventional Hydroelectric | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Blue Earth | 6.8 | 2 | 1984 | Out of service and NOT expected to return to service in next calendar year |
| Little Falls (MN)Conventional Hydroelectric | ALLETE, Inc. | Morrison | 4.6 | 6 | 1906 | Operating |
| ByllesbyConventional Hydroelectric | Dakota County, MN | Dakota | 4.4 | 2 | 2026 | Operating |
| Hastings City HydroelectricConventional Hydroelectric | Hastings Lock & Dam | Dakota | 4.4 | 2 | 1992 | Operating |
| WintonConventional Hydroelectric | ALLETE, Inc. | Lake | 4 | 2 | 1923 | Operating |
| Brainerd Public UtilitiesConventional Hydroelectric | Brainerd Public Utilities | Crow Wing | 2.9 | 5 | 1917 | Out of service but expected to return to service in next calendar year |
| Rochester HydroConventional Hydroelectric | Rochester Public Utilities | Wabasha | 2.6 | 2 | 1984 | Operating |
| Knife FallsConventional Hydroelectric | ALLETE, Inc. | Carlton | 2.4 | 3 | 1922 | Operating |
| SylvanConventional Hydroelectric | ALLETE, Inc. | Cass | 1.8 | 3 | 1913 | Operating |
| PillagerConventional Hydroelectric | ALLETE, Inc. | Cass | 1.6 | 2 | 1917 | Operating |
| ScanlonConventional Hydroelectric | ALLETE, Inc. | Carlton | 1.6 | 4 | 1923 | Operating |
| Granite FallsConventional Hydroelectric | City of Granite Falls - (MN) | Chippewa | 1.3 | 3 | 1932 | Operating |
| Prairie RiverConventional Hydroelectric | ALLETE, Inc. | Itasca | 1 | 2 | 1920 | Operating |
| Hoot LakeConventional Hydroelectric | Otter Tail Power Co | Otter Tail | 1 | 1 | 1914 | Operating |
Largest hydroelectric power plants in Minnesota
- 1ThomsonCarlton County, Minnesota72.6 MW
- 2BlanchardMorrison County, Minnesota18 MW
- 3Twin Cities Hydro LLCRamsey County, Minnesota18 MW
- 4International Falls PowerKoochiching County, Minnesota14.2 MW
- 5Hennepin IslandHennepin County, Minnesota13.7 MW
- 6Fond Du LacSt Louis County, Minnesota12 MW
- 7SAF Hydroelectric LLCHennepin County, Minnesota9.6 MW
- 8Sartell DamBenton County, Minnesota9.3 MW
- 9St. Cloud HydroStearns County, Minnesota8.6 MW
- 10Rapidan Hydro FacilityBlue Earth County, Minnesota6.8 MW
Hydroelectric power plants by county in Minnesota
The county EIA files against each plant. It is the fastest way to find the plant nearest a given town.
| County | Plants | Nameplate MW |
|---|---|---|
| Carlton | 3 | 76.6 |
| Hennepin | 2 | 23.3 |
| Morrison | 2 | 22.6 |
| Ramsey | 1 | 18 |
| Koochiching | 1 | 14.2 |
| St Louis | 1 | 12 |
| Benton | 1 | 9.3 |
| Dakota | 2 | 8.8 |
| Stearns | 1 | 8.6 |
| Blue Earth | 1 | 6.8 |
| Lake | 1 | 4 |
| Cass | 2 | 3.4 |
| Crow Wing | 1 | 2.9 |
| Wabasha | 1 | 2.6 |
| Chippewa | 1 | 1.3 |
| Itasca | 1 | 1 |
| Otter Tail | 1 | 1 |
Hydroelectric Power Plants in Minnesota: FAQ
- How many hydroelectric power plants are in Minnesota?
- 23, with 216 MW of nameplate capacity between them, spread over 17 counties. That is the EIA-860M operating count for 2026-07.
- Is there a map of Minnesota hydroelectric power plants?
- Yes — the map above. Each dot is one hydroelectric power plant, sized by nameplate capacity and placed at the coordinates EIA files for it.
- Which is the largest hydroelectric power plant in Minnesota?
- Thomson, at 73 MW. The table is sorted largest first, so the rest follow it.
- Is there a hydroelectric power plant near me in Minnesota?
- The county roll-up below groups every plant by county, which is the quickest way to find the one closest to a given town.
- Which grid operator runs Minnesota's hydroelectric power plants?
- Most of them sit inside MISO, according to the balancing-authority code EIA files against each plant. Live conditions for that market are on this site.
- How current is this, and what is left out?
- EIA-860M for 2026-07. Conventional hydroelectric. Pumped storage is counted separately. Plants below 1 MW are not surveyed by EIA and so are absent; retirements and additions after 2026-07 arrive with the next monthly release.