82nd largest plant in Minnesota · 4073rd nationally
Franklin Heating Station is a natural gas power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 34.0 MW. It generates roughly 62.4k MWh per year — enough to power about 5,942 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 21% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 455 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 (34.0 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 | Franklin Heating Station |
|---|---|
| Operator | Franklin Heating Station |
| City | Rochester |
| County | Olmsted County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 55902 |
| Coordinates | 44.02058, -92.46560 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTG1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Natural Gas | 7.5 MW | Approved | — |
| GEN6 | All Other | Purchased | 6.5 MW | Operating | 2006 |
| GEN3 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | Natural Gas | 6.3 MW | Operating | 1968 |
| EG11 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 3.4 MW | Approved | — |
| EG12 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 3.4 MW | Approved | — |
| EG13 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 3.4 MW | Approved | — |
| EG14 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 3.4 MW | Approved | — |
| EG15 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 3.4 MW | Approved | — |
| DG10 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 3.1 MW | Standby | 2021 |
| DG8 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 3.1 MW | Standby | 2021 |
| DG9 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 3.1 MW | Regulatory | — |
| GEN1 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | Natural Gas | 2.5 MW | Operating | 1951 |
| GEN2 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | Natural Gas | 2.5 MW | Operating | 1951 |
| DG6 | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | Natural Gas | 2.4 MW | Retired | 1982 |
| DG7 | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | Natural Gas | 2.4 MW | Retired | 1982 |
| DG4 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 2.0 MW | Operating | 2009 |
| DG5 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 2.0 MW | Operating | 2011 |
| EG1 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 2.0 MW | Standby | 2001 |
| EG2 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 2.0 MW | Standby | 2001 |
| EG3 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 2.0 MW | Standby | 2001 |
| CO₂ | 14.2k metric tons |
|---|---|
| NOₓ | 29 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 455 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.. |
Natural gas plants are the workhorse of the modern grid. Combined-cycle units achieve very high efficiency and can ramp up and down quickly to balance variable renewables. They emit roughly half the CO₂ per MWh of coal and far less of other pollutants, but they still release upstream methane during fuel extraction.