Blue Lake
Natural gas power plant · Scott County, Minnesota
Nameplate capacity
362 MW
Rank in Minnesota
#12
of 804 plants
In service since
2005
June 2005
Details
- Primary fuel
- Natural gas
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine
- Operator
- Northern States Power Co - Minnesota
- County
- Scott County
- Generating units
- 5
- Share of state capacity
- 1.82%
- Rank among natural gas plants in Minnesota
- #7 of 36
- EIA plant code
- 8027
Generating units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 166 MW | 150 MW | 2005 | Operating |
| 8 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 166 MW | 150 MW | 2005 | Operating |
| BLL09 | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 9.8 MW | 9.4 MW | 2025 | Operating |
| BLL10 | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 9.8 MW | 9.4 MW | 2025 | Operating |
| BLL11 | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 9.8 MW | 9.4 MW | 2025 | Operating |
Nameplate is the maximum rated output; summer capacity is what the unit can reliably deliver on a hot day, which is typically lower.
Similarly sized plants in Minnesota
| Lakefield Junction | Natural gas | 538 MW |
| Pleasant Valley (MN) | Natural gas | 468 MW |
| Cannon Falls Energy Center | Natural gas | 347 MW |
| Faribault Energy Park | Natural gas | 335 MW |
About this data
From EIA’s inventory of operable generators, May 2026 release. Capacity is nameplate — the maximum rated output of the equipment, not what the plant actually generates over a year, which depends on how often it runs. A 362 MW solar plant and a 362 MW nuclear plant have the same entry here and produce very different amounts of electricity.
“In service since” is the earliest in-service date among the units still listed, so a site rebuilt around newer equipment can read as younger than the site itself. All Minnesota power plants · What Minnesota actually generates