World Power Plants

Big Falls is a 7.7 MW hydro power plant in the United States, operated by Northern States Power Co - Minnesota and commissioned in 1945. Ranked #750 of 1,469 hydro plants in the United States. Its 7.7 MW represents 0.01% of the United States' total hydro capacity of 117,947 MW. The largest hydro plant in the United States is the Grand Coulee Dam at 6,809 MW, making Big Falls 884 times smaller. Nearby plants within 50 km include Jim Falls (59.8 MW, Hydro), Cornell (35.3 MW, Hydro), and Holcombe (33.9 MW, Hydro). The facility is located in Wisconsin, approximately 40 km southeast of Minneapolis.

Capacity
7.7 MW
Commissioning Year
1945

81 years old

Owner
Northern States Power Co - Minnesota
Location
45.4917°, -91.0469°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 5,242. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #26,219 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #5,954 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
Age & fleet comparison

81 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

Northern States Power Co - Minnesota operates 40 plants totalling 9,735 MW

Regional density

31 plants within 100 km, 629 MW combined

Nearest plant: Ladysmith Dam (4.2 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 45.491700, -91.046900
Open in Google Maps
Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Big Falls is a hydro power plant producing approximately 27 GWh of clean electricity per year with zero direct CO₂ emissions during operation.

Lifecycle emissions: ~24 g CO₂/kWh (manufacturing, transport, decommissioning)

Technical Details

Primary Fuel Type
Hydro
Energy Source
Renewable
Country
United States of America
Continent
North America
Data Source
Global Power Plant Database

United States of AmericaEnergy Profile

10,098
Total Plants
1420.7 GW
Total Capacity
GasCoalNuclearWind
Top Fuels

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