280th largest plant in Minnesota · 8379th nationally
Willmar is a wind power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 4.0 MW. It generates roughly 3.3k MWh per year — enough to power about 310 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 9% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Willmar |
|---|---|
| Operator | Willmar Municipal Utilities |
| City | Willmar |
| County | Kandiyohi County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 56201 |
| Coordinates | 45.12170, -95.05324 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | Natural Gas | 18.0 MW | Retired | 1970 |
| ST2 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | Natural Gas | 8.0 MW | Retired | 1956 |
| ST1 | Conventional Steam Coal | Subbituminous Coal | 4.0 MW | Retired | 1949 |
| WTG3 | Onshore Wind Turbine | Wind | 2.0 MW | Operating | 2009 |
| WTG4 | Onshore Wind Turbine | Wind | 2.0 MW | Operating | 2009 |
| NERC Region | MRO |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.. |
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%.