56th largest plant in Minnesota · 3131st nationally
M L Hibbard is a biomass power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 72.8 MW. It generates roughly 68.2k MWh per year — enough to power about 6,494 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 11% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 102 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 (72.8 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 | M L Hibbard |
|---|---|
| Operator | Allete, Inc. |
| City | Duluth |
| County | St Louis County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 55807 |
| Coordinates | 46.73533, -92.15171 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Wood/Wood Waste Biomass | Wood/Wood Waste | 37.5 MW | Operating | 1951 |
| 3 | Wood/Wood Waste Biomass | Wood/Wood Waste | 35.3 MW | Operating | 1949 |
| 1 | Petroleum Liquids | Residual Oil | 25.0 MW | Retired | 1931 |
| 2 | Petroleum Liquids | Residual Oil | 25.0 MW | Retired | 1943 |
| CO₂ | 3.5k metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 11 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 67 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 102 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.