Home / Power plants / North Dakota

Power Plants in North Dakota

All 62 operable plants · EIA inventory, August 2026.

Total capacity

11.2 GW

39th largest of the 50 states and DC

Plants

62 in service

Largest plant

1,216 MW

Coal Creek

Capacity by fuel

44%

36%

14%

North Dakota generating capacity by fuel
Fuel	Capacity	Share	Plants
Wind	4,979 MW	44.4%	42
Coal	4,029 MW	35.9%	7
Natural gas	1,557 MW	13.9%	6
Hydro	583 MW	5.2%	1
Other	70 MW	0.6%	6

Nameplate capacity — what the fleet could produce running flat out — not what it actually generated. A plant is filed under the fuel carrying most of its capacity. See what North Dakota actually generated →

Largest plants in North Dakota

#	Plant	Fuel	Capacity	Online
1	Coal CreekMcLean County	Coal	1,216 MW	1979
2	Antelope ValleyMercer County	Coal	954 MW	1984
3	Pioneer Generation StationWilliams County	Natural gas	897 MW	2013
4	Milton R YoungOliver County	Coal	734 MW	1970
5	Leland OldsMercer County	Coal	656 MW	1966
6	GarrisonMercer County	Hydro	583 MW	1956
7	CoyoteMercer County	Coal	450 MW	1981
8	Lonesome Creek StationMcKenzie County	Natural gas	363 MW	2013
9	Aurora Wind ProjectWilliams County	Wind	299 MW	2021
10	Badger Wind, LLCMcIntosh County	Wind	250 MW	2026

North Dakota's generating fleet in context

North Dakota holds 11.2 gigawatts of nameplate capacity across 62 plants, ranking 39th of the 50 states and DC by fleet size. This is capacity — what the equipment could produce running flat out — not generation, which differs based on how often each fuel source runs through the year.

Wind and coal together dominate the fleet. Wind accounts for 4,979 megawatts across 42 plants, making up 44.4% of state capacity, while coal provides 4,029 megawatts from 7 plants at 35.9%. Natural gas adds 1,557 megawatts at 13.9%, hydro contributes 583 megawatts at 5.2%, and other sources make up the remaining 0.6%. The largest single plant is Coal Creek, a coal station with 1,216 megawatts, followed by the coal-fired Antelope Valley at 954 megawatts and the natural gas Pioneer Generation Station at 897 megawatts.

The fleet spans nearly nine decades. Grafton, the oldest plant still listed, first came online in August 1937, while Badger Wind, LLC, the newest addition, entered service in January 2026.

Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through August 2026.

Every plant in North Dakota, by fuel

Wind42 plants · 4,979 MW

All US wind plants →

Wind power plants in North Dakota, largest first
Plant	County	Capacity	Units	Online
Aurora Wind Project	Williams	299 MW	1	2021
Badger Wind, LLC	McIntosh	250 MW	1	2026
Bison 4 Wind Energy Center	Morton	205 MW	1	2015
Bowman Wind	Bowman	200 MW	1	2025
Courtenay Wind Farm	Stutsman	200 MW	1	2016
Emmons-Logan Wind, LLC	Emmons	200 MW	1	2019
Burke Wind, LLC	Burke	199 MW	1	2020
Oliver Wind IV	Oliver	199 MW	1	2024
Tatanka Wind Power LLC	Dickey	180 MW	1	2008
Thunder Spirit Wind, LLC	Adams	156 MW	2	2015
Border Winds Wind Farm	Rolette	150 MW	1	2015
Brady II Wind Energy Center	Stark	150 MW	1	2016
Brady Wind Energy Center	Stark	150 MW	1	2016
Foxtail Wind, LLC	Dickey	150 MW	1	2020
Lindahl Wind Project, LLC	Williams	150 MW	1	2017
Merricourt Wind Energy Center	McIntosh	150 MW	1	2020
Rugby Wind Power Project	Pierce	149 MW	1	2009
FPL Energy Ashtabula Wind LLC	Barnes	149 MW	1	2008
Ashtabula Wind II LLC	Steele	120 MW	1	2009
Langdon Renewables, LLC	Cavalier	119 MW	1	2007
Prairie Winds ND1	Ward	116 MW	1	2009
Glen Ullin Energy Center	Morton	107 MW	1	2019
Bison 2 Wind Energy Center	Morton	105 MW	1	2012
Bison 3 Wind Energy Center	Morton	105 MW	1	2012
Sunflower Wind Project	Morton	104 MW	1	2016
Baldwin Wind LLC	Burleigh	102 MW	1	2010
New Frontier Wind	McHenry	100 MW	1	2018
Oliver Wind III, LLC	Morton	99 MW	1	2017
Bison I Wind Energy Center	Morton	82 MW	2	2010
Ashtabula Wind III LLC	Barnes	62 MW	1	2010
FPL Energy North Dakota Wind I/II	LaMoure	62 MW	1	2003
FPL Energy Oliver Wind I LLC	Oliver	51 MW	1	2006
FPL Energy Burleigh County Wind	Burleigh	50 MW	2	2005
Luverne Wind Energy Center	Steele	50 MW	1	2009
Wilton Wind II LLC	Burleigh	50 MW	1	2009
Ashtabula Wind Energy Center	Barnes	48 MW	1	2008
FPL Energy Oliver Wind II LLC	Oliver	48 MW	1	2007
Langdon Wind Energy Center	Cavalier	41 MW	1	2007
Langdon Wind II LLC	Cavalier	41 MW	1	2008
Cedar Hills Wind Farm	Bowman	20 MW	1	2010
Velva Windfarm LLC	McHenry	12 MW	1	2005
Minot Wind Project	Ward	4.5 MW	1	2009

Coal7 plants · 4,029 MW

All US coal plants →

Coal power plants in North Dakota, largest first
Plant	County	Capacity	Units	Online
Coal Creek	McLean	1,216 MW	4	1979
Antelope Valley	Mercer	954 MW	2	1984
Milton R Young	Oliver	734 MW	2	1970
Leland Olds	Mercer	656 MW	2	1966
Coyote	Mercer	450 MW	1	1981
American Crystal Sugar Hillsboro	Traill	13 MW	1	1990
American Crystal Sugar Drayton	Pembina	6.0 MW	1	1965

Natural gas6 plants · 1,557 MW

All US natural gas plants →

Natural gas power plants in North Dakota, largest first
Plant	County	Capacity	Units	Online
Pioneer Generation Station	Williams	897 MW	23	2013
Lonesome Creek Station	McKenzie	363 MW	6	2013
R M Heskett	Morton	178 MW	3	2014
Spiritwood Station	Stutsman	106 MW	1	2014
Tesoro Mandan Cogeneration Plant	Morton	9.3 MW	3	1954
Marvin Composites	Cass	2.5 MW	4	1996

Hydro1 plant · 583 MW

All US hydro plants →

Hydro power plants in North Dakota, largest first
Plant	County	Capacity	Units	Online
Garrison	Mercer	583 MW	5	1956

Other6 plants · 70 MW

All US other plants →

Other power plants in North Dakota, largest first
Plant	County	Capacity	Units	Online
Jamestown	Stutsman	48 MW	2	1976
Enderlin	Ransom	9.8 MW	2	1983
Grafton	Walsh	4.0 MW	4	1937
Hillsboro	Traill	4.0 MW	2	2002
Kindred School	Cass	2.0 MW	1	2001
Dakota Magic	Richland	1.5 MW	1	2000

Sorted by nameplate capacity within each fuel. “Online” is the year the plant’s earliest surviving unit entered service.

Frequently asked questions

›How many power plants are there in North Dakota?

North Dakota has 62 operable power plants with a combined nameplate capacity of 11.2 GW, the 39th largest generating fleet of the 50 states and DC. 62 of them are currently in service.

›What is the largest power plant in North Dakota?

Coal Creek in McLean County, a coal plant with 1,216 MW of capacity across 4 generating units, first online in June 1979.

›What fuel do North Dakota's power plants use?

Wind accounts for the largest share of North Dakota's generating capacity — 4,979 MW, or 44.4% of the total, across 42 plants. Coal follows at 35.9%, Natural gas follows at 13.9%, Hydro follows at 5.2%. Note this is capacity, not generation — what the fleet could produce, not what it did.

›What is the oldest power plant in North Dakota?

Grafton is the oldest still operable, with its earliest unit entering service in August 1937. The most recent addition is Badger Wind, LLC, online since January 2026.