Ben French — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 3325
- Capacity
- 110 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine, Petroleum Liquids
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Pennington, SD
- Operating Since
- 1965
- Generators
- 9
- Operator
- Black Hills Power, Inc.
- Parent Company
- Black Hills
- Annual Generation
- 20,003 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 2.1%
- Balancing Authority
- Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Ben French
OperatingDistillate OilNatural GasHybrid
Ranked #7 of 11 Natural Gas plants in SD#914 of 2009 nationally
110 MW Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine (100 MW) + Petroleum Liquids (10 MW) operating in Pennington, SD — Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region
EIAWD
110 MW
Nameplate Capacity
9
Generators
units
Hybrid (2)
Technology
Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine + Petroleum Liquids
1965
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
44.0872, -103.2612
County
Pennington, SD
Nearby Plants
- Lange Generating StationNatural Gas139.6 MW · 3.8 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Black Hills Power, Inc. | Black Hills Power | — |
| Owner(s) | Black Hills Power, Inc. | Black Hills | — |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
Ownership Chain
About
The Ben French plant, located in Pennington County, South Dakota, has a total capacity of 110 MW across 9 generators. The plant began operating in 1965 and is owned by Black Hills, with Black Hills Power, Inc. serving as the operator. The primary fuel source is distillate fuel oil (DFO), and the plant utilizes both natural gas-fired combustion turbine and petroleum liquids technologies, classifying it as a hybrid facility.
The plant operates within the Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region balancing authority and the WECC NERC region. In terms of size, the Ben French plant ranks 3rd out of 3 plants in South Dakota and 59th out of 60 nationally. The latest annual generation data indicates an output of 20,003 MWh, resulting in a capacity factor of 2.1%.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region
Grid Voltage
69 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
2.0K MWh
Latest Month
20.0K MWh
Annual Generation
2.1%
Capacity Factor
Dec 2022 – Dec 2025
Financial Data
No financial data available for this plant.
Pricing & Market Data
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
News & Articles (10)Beta
Regulatory·rate case
Black Hills Power seeks higher electric rates
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — The provider of electricity to 75000 customers in western South Dakota wants to charge them more.
Black Hills Power (other)South Dakota (other)
Yahoo·4 weeks ago
General
Toxic Coal Ash in South Dakota: Addressing Coal Plants’ Hazardous Legacy
Substantial quantities of toxic coal ash are stored at three power plant sites in South Dakota.
Earthjustice·6 months ago
Industry·corporate
Toxic Coal Ash in South Dakota: Addressing Coal Plants’ Hazardous Legacy
Substantial quantities of toxic coal ash are stored at three power plant sites in South Dakota.
Earthjustice·6 months ago
General
Black Hills Energy replacing Rapid City generating station
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Black Hills Energy broke ground recently for the Lange 2 generating station in Rapid City. The project will provide power...
NewsCenter1·6 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-26
View all 10 articles