39th largest plant in South Dakota · 4418th nationally
Lake Preston is a oil power plant in South Dakota with a nameplate capacity of 24.1 MW. It generates roughly 76 MWh per year — enough to power about 7 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 0% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 3275 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits above the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.
| Plant Name | Lake Preston |
|---|---|
| Operator | Otter Tail Power Co |
| City | Lake Preston |
| County | Kingsbury County |
| State | South Dakota |
| ZIP | 57249 |
| Coordinates | 44.36487, -97.38106 |
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 24.1 MW | Retired | 1948 |
| 1A | Petroleum Liquids | Distillate Oil | 24.1 MW | Standby | 1978 |
| CO₂ | 124 metric tons |
|---|---|
| NOₓ | 1 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 3275 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.. |
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.