51st largest plant in Minnesota · 2653rd nationally
Sappi Cloquet Mill is a biomass power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 94.5 MW. It generates roughly 454.4k MWh per year — enough to power about 43,278 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 55% puts it in the middle range — running steadily but not full-time. At 120 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 (94.5 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 | Sappi Cloquet Mill |
|---|---|
| Operator | Sappi Cloquet Llc |
| City | Cloquet |
| County | Carlton County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 55720 |
| Coordinates | 46.72430, -92.42980 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN4 | Wood/Wood Waste Biomass | Wood/Wood Waste | 41.5 MW | Operating | 1997 |
| GEN5 | Wood/Wood Waste Biomass | Black Liquor | 27.6 MW | Operating | 2001 |
| GEN3 | Wood/Wood Waste Biomass | Wood/Wood Waste | 19.2 MW | Operating | 1976 |
| HGN7 | Conventional Hydroelectric | Water | 2.8 MW | Operating | 1980 |
| GEN1 | Wood/Wood Waste Biomass | Black Liquor | 2.0 MW | Retired | 1925 |
| HGN1 | Conventional Hydroelectric | Water | 1.8 MW | Operating | 1950 |
| HGN5 | Conventional Hydroelectric | Water | 0.8 MW | Operating | 1929 |
| HGN6 | Conventional Hydroelectric | Water | 0.8 MW | Operating | 1929 |
| CO₂ | 27.2k metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 570 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 149 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 120 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.