36th largest plant in South Dakota · 3882nd nationally
South Dakota Wind Energy Cente is a wind power plant in South Dakota with a nameplate capacity of 40.5 MW. It generates roughly 80.6k MWh per year — enough to power about 7,674 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 23% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | South Dakota Wind Energy Cente |
|---|---|
| Operator | Fpl Energy South Dakota Wind Llc |
| City | Highmore |
| County | Hyde County |
| State | South Dakota |
| ZIP | 57345 |
| Coordinates | 44.54920, -99.50000 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GE15 | Onshore Wind Turbine | Wind | 40.5 MW | Operating | 2003 |
| NERC Region | MRO |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region |
Wind farms harvest kinetic energy from moving air using large rotor blades coupled to generators. Like solar, they produce zero emissions but vary with weather. Onshore wind capacity factors typically run 30–45%; offshore can exceed 50%.