75th largest plant in Minnesota · 3939th nationally
Covanta Hennepin Energy is a biomass power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 39.5 MW. It generates roughly 198.7k MWh per year — enough to power about 18,923 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 57% puts it in the middle range — running steadily but not full-time. At 2072 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits above the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.
Ghost bars are each month's theoretical maximum (39.5 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 | Covanta Hennepin Energy |
|---|---|
| Operator | Covanta Energy Co |
| City | Minneapolis |
| County | Hennepin County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 55405 |
| Coordinates | 44.98330, -93.28038 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN1 | Municipal Solid Waste | Municipal Waste | 39.5 MW | Operating | 1989 |
| Owner | Location | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hennepin County Department Of Environmental Services | Minneapolis, MN | 10000.0% |
Ownership reported to EIA Form 860. Percentages reflect reported generator-level ownership share, averaged when a plant has multiple generators.
| CO₂ | 205.9k metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 298 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 413 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 2072 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.