Rapids Energy Center — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 10686
- Capacity
- 28.4 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric, Natural Gas Steam Turbine
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Itasca, MN
- Operating Since
- 1943
- Generators
- 3
- Operator
- ALLETE, Inc.
- Parent Company
- ALLETE
- Annual Generation
- 40,178 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 16.1%
- Balancing Authority
- Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc..
- ISO/RTO
- MISO
- NERC Region
- MRO
Rapids Energy Center
OperatingNatural GasHydroHybrid
Ranked #26 of 34 Natural Gas plants in MN#1265 of 2009 nationally
28.4 MW Conventional Hydroelectric (2 MW) + Natural Gas Steam Turbine (27 MW) operating in Itasca, MN — Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc..
EIAWD
28.4 MW
Nameplate Capacity
3
Generators
units
Hybrid (2)
Technology
Conventional Hydroelectric + Natural Gas Steam Turbine
1943
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
47.2345, -93.5368
County
Itasca, MN
Nearby Plants
- Energy CenterNatural Gas1.8 MW · 0.5 km
- USS Itasca Clean Energy Solar LLCBESS3 MW · 3.4 km
- Prairie RiverHydro1 MW · 6.2 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | ALLETE, Inc. | ALLETE | — |
| Owner(s) | ALLETE, Inc. | ALLETE | — |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
Ownership Chain
About
Rapids Energy Center is a hybrid power plant located in Itasca County, Minnesota. The facility, which began operating in 1943, has a total capacity of 28.4 MW across three generators. It is owned and operated by ALLETE, Inc. The plant utilizes both conventional hydroelectric and natural gas steam turbine technologies, with natural gas (NG) as its primary fuel source.
The plant operates within the Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO) balancing authority and the MRO NERC region. In terms of size, Rapids Energy Center is ranked 25th out of 33 power plants in Minnesota and 1246th out of 1963 nationally. The latest annual generation data indicates an output of 40,178 MWh, resulting in a capacity factor of 16.1%. Financial data is available for the plant, including a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) price of $31.5 per MWh, sourced from FERC EQRs.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
MRO
Balancing Authority
Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc..
Grid Voltage
115 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
4.1K MWh
Latest Month
40.2K MWh
Annual Generation
16.1%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: FERC Electric Quarterly ReportsHIGH
$40.0/MWh
PPA Price
ALLETE, Inc.
Contract Seller
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidenceMarket Position
ISO/RTO Market
MISO
LMP Node
—
Pricing Hub
MINN.HUB
Node Source
OSM spatial match
News & Articles (9)Beta
Deals·m and a
Private Equity is Coming for American Energy
In Northeast Minnesota, a BlackRock subsidiary's shady acquisition of an electric utility points to a nationwide threat to energy consumers.
BlackRock (buyer)Northeast Minnesota (other)
Progressive.org·4 weeks ago
Industry·technology
From Power Plants to Processors
The expansion of the digital sector, catalyzed by the proliferation of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI), has led to explosive...
Private Equity Stakeholder Project PESP·4 months ago
Deals·m and a
State regulators approve sale of Allete
ST. PAUL — Minnesota regulators signed off on the final approval needed to sell Allete to a pair of private investment firms.
Allete (seller)Minnesota (regulator)
Duluth News Tribune·5 months ago
Deals·m and a
Takeover of Minnesota Power by investment group approved by regulators despite state objections
Minnesota regulators have approved the takeover of Minnesota Power by an investment group, despite opposition from the state attorney...
Minnesota Power (seller)Minnesota (regulator)
CBS News·5 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 9 articles