66th largest plant in Wisconsin · 3730th nationally
Bay Front is a biomass power plant in Wisconsin with a nameplate capacity of 47.2 MW. It generates roughly 154.9k MWh per year — enough to power about 14,751 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 37% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 363 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits below the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.
Ghost bars are each month's theoretical maximum (47.2 MW nameplate × hours in the month). Filled bars are actual net generation reported to EIA Form 923. The gap between them is capacity factor made visible.
| Plant Name | Bay Front |
|---|---|
| Operator | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota |
| City | Ashland |
| County | Ashland County |
| State | Wisconsin |
| ZIP | 54806 |
| Coordinates | 46.58722, -90.90170 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | Natural Gas | 27.2 MW | Operating | 1957 |
| 4 | Wood/Wood Waste Biomass | Wood/Wood Waste | 20.0 MW | Retired | 1949 |
| 5 | Wood/Wood Waste Biomass | Wood/Wood Waste | 20.0 MW | Operating | 1952 |
| CO₂ | 28.1k metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 54 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 244 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 363 lb/MWh |
Annual totals and CO₂ rate reported by EPA eGRID for 2023. Reference averages are approximate U.S.-wide figures from the same dataset.
| NERC Region | MRO |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.. |
Biomass plants burn wood, agricultural waste, or methane from landfills to generate steam and electricity. They are considered carbon-neutral over long timescales when fuel is sustainably sourced, but they produce particulate emissions similar to coal.