Detroit Lakes

🛢 OilElectric Utility12 MW capacity

120th largest plant in Minnesota · 5364th nationally

Detroit Lakes is a oil power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 12.5 MW. It generates roughly 50 MWh per year — enough to power about 4 average U.S. homes.

Its capacity factor of 0% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 3064 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits above the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.

PeakingMid-meritBaseload0%40%80%100%0%
Peaking — intermittent or backup
Capacity13 MWnameplate
Annual Generation50 MWhEPA eGRID
Capacity Factor0%of theoretical max
Annual CO₂77metric tons

Location

Plant NameDetroit Lakes
OperatorCity Of Detroit Lakes - (Mn)
CityDetroit Lakes
CountyBecker County
StateMinnesota
ZIP56501
Coordinates46.81750, -95.84333

This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.

OilWind

Generators (1)

IDTechnologyFuelCapacityStatusOnline
1Petroleum LiquidsDistillate Oil12.5 MWOperating1968

Emissions (annual)

CO₂77 metric tons
CO₂ Rate3064 lb/MWh
U.S. grid average800 lb/MWhNatural gas combined-cycle average900 lb/MWhCoal plant average2,100 lb/MWhThis plant3,064 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.

Grid context

NERC RegionMRO
Balancing AuthorityMidcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc..

About Oil plants

Oil-fired plants typically run only during peak demand or grid emergencies because oil is expensive compared to gas and coal. They have the highest CO₂ emissions per MWh of any common generation technology.

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