26th largest plant in Wisconsin · 1643rd nationally
French Island is a biomass power plant in Wisconsin with a nameplate capacity of 188 MW. It generates roughly 62.2k MWh per year — enough to power about 5,921 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 4% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 1120 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 (188 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 | French Island |
|---|---|
| Operator | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota |
| City | La Cross |
| County | La Crosse County |
| State | Wisconsin |
| ZIP | 54601 |
| Coordinates | 43.82920, -91.25970 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 78.8 MW | Operating | 1974 |
| 4 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 78.8 MW | Operating | 1974 |
| 1 | Municipal Solid Waste | Municipal Waste | 15.2 MW | Operating | 1940 |
| 2 | Municipal Solid Waste | Municipal Waste | 15.2 MW | Operating | 1948 |
| CO₂ | 34.8k metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 16 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 162 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 1120 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.