Black Dog — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 1904
- Capacity
- 562.8 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle, Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Dakota, MN
- Operating Since
- 1954
- Generators
- 3
- Operator
- Northern States Power Co - Minnesota
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 2,309,742.01 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 46.7%
- Balancing Authority
- Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc..
- ISO/RTO
- MISO
- NERC Region
- MRO
Black Dog
OperatingNatural GasHybrid
Ranked #4 of 34 Natural Gas plants in MN#433 of 2009 nationally
562.8 MW Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle (325 MW) + Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine (238 MW) operating in Dakota, MN — Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc..
EIAWD
562.8 MW
Nameplate Capacity
3
Generators
units
Hybrid (2)
Technology
Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle + Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine
1954
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
44.8108, -93.2501
County
Dakota, MN
Nearby Plants
- Winnebago County Landfill GasLandfill Gas1.5 MW · 6.1 km
- St. Paul Intl Airport Red & Blue ParkingSolar3.2 MW · 8.3 km
- Thomson Reuters Campus Bldg A-DDistillate Oil14 MW · 10.7 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | — | — |
| Owner(s) | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | — | — |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
Ownership Chain
No GEM tracker match for this plant — ownership chain unavailable.
About
The Black Dog power plant is located in Dakota County, Minnesota. It is owned and operated by Northern States Power Co - Minnesota. The plant has a total capacity of 562.8 MW across 3 generators and primarily burns natural gas. The plant utilizes both Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle and Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine technologies, making it a hybrid plant. Black Dog began operating in 1954.
The plant operates within the Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc. balancing authority and the MRO NERC region. In the state of Minnesota, Black Dog ranks as the 4th largest out of 14 plants, and nationally it ranks 438 out of 945. The latest annual generation data shows an output of 2,309,742 MWh, resulting in a capacity factor of 46.7%. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $691.29 per kW, with data sourced from FERC filings.
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
222.2K MWh
Latest Month
2.3M MWh
Annual Generation
46.7%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: FERC Form 1HIGH
$771/kW
Installed Cost
$26.7/MWh
Operating Cost
Northern States Power Company (Minnesota)
Reporting Utility
Annual Capital & Operating Expenses
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidencePoint of Interconnection
Nearest Substation
Black Dog Substation · 115 kV
Substation Distance
< 10 km
Coord Source
OSM spatial
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
MISO
LMP Node
NSP.BLKDO6
Pricing Hub
MINN.HUB
Location Type
Generation Node
Node Source
EIA-860 direct report
News & Articles (10)Beta
Hazards·other
3 MN FIREFIGHTERS INJURED AT POWER PLANT EXPLOSION
Three Burnsville firefighters were injured yesterday morning at an explosion and fire in a smoldering coal bin at Xcel Energy's Black Dog...
Xcel Energy (operator)Black Dog (operator)
Firefighter Close Calls·6 months ago
Industry·corporate
Toxic Coal Ash in Minnesota: Addressing Coal Plants’ Hazardous Legacy
Massive quantities of toxic coal ash are stored at 12 coal-fired power plant sites in Minnesota.
Earthjustice·6 months ago
Hazards·flooding
Sandbagging to protect Black Dog Power Station from Minnesota River flooding
Xcel Energy crews were sandbagging at the Black Dog Power Station in Burnsville as a precaution as the Minnesota River rises.
Xcel Energy (operator)Black Dog Power Station (operator)
FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul·1 years ago
Industry·corporate
Xcel Energy starts to dismantle lofty coal plant icon in Burnsville
The 600-foot-tall chimney at the Black Dog power plant is no longer needed after the plant switched to natural gas.
Xcel Energy (operator)Black Dog (operator)
MPR News·6 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 10 articles