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Power Plants in South Dakota

All 54 operable plants · EIA inventory, May 2026.

Total capacity
7.7 GW
41st largest of 51 states
Plants
54
54 in service
Largest plant
786 MW
Oahe

Capacity by fuel

South Dakota generating capacity by fuel
FuelCapacitySharePlants
Wind3,457 MW45.1%25
Hydro1,648 MW21.5%4
Natural gas1,646 MW21.5%11
Coal451 MW5.9%1
Other250 MW3.3%9
Solar217 MW2.8%4

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 South Dakota actually generated →

Largest plants in South Dakota

#PlantFuelCapacityOnline
1OaheHughes CountyHydro786 MW1962
2Big Bend DamBuffalo CountyHydro538 MW1964
3Big StoneGrant CountyCoal451 MW1975
4Angus AnsonMinnehaha CountyNatural gas406 MW1994
5Astoria StationDeuel CountyNatural gas349 MW2021
6Deer Creek StationBrookings CountyNatural gas324 MW2012
7Fort RandallCharles Mix CountyHydro320 MW1954
8Dakota Range WindGrant CountyWind304 MW2022
9Deuel Harvest Wind Energy LLCDeuel CountyWind300 MW2021
10Triple H Wind ProjectHyde CountyWind250 MW2020

South Dakota's generating fleet in context

South Dakota's generating fleet holds 7.7 gigawatts of nameplate capacity across 54 plants, ranking 41st among the 51 states and territories. Wind dominates, carrying 45.1% of the state's capacity at 3,457 megawatts, while hydro and natural gas each supply 21.5%, or 1,648 and 1,646 megawatts respectively. Coal accounts for 5.9% of capacity, with solar and other sources making up 2.8% and 3.3%.

The largest plants illustrate the fuel mix. Oahe, a hydroelectric facility with 7 units, leads at 786 megawatts, followed by Big Bend Dam, also hydro, at 538 megawatts. The state's single coal plant, Big Stone, holds 451 megawatts across 2 units. Among natural gas plants, Angus Anson reaches 406 megawatts in 3 units, and Astoria Station, the newest large plant, holds 349 megawatts.

The fleet spans from Fort Randall, which came online in March 1954, through the newest addition, RE Solar, LLC, which entered service in December 2024. This range captures seven decades of generation equipment, reflecting shifting technology and power needs across that period.

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

Every plant in South Dakota, by fuel

Wind25 plants · 3,457 MW

All US wind plants →
Wind power plants in South Dakota, largest first
PlantCountyCapacityUnitsOnline
Dakota Range WindGrant304 MW12022
Deuel Harvest Wind Energy LLCDeuel300 MW12021
Triple H Wind ProjectHyde250 MW12020
Prevailing Wind ParkYankton220 MW12020
Buffalo Ridge II LLCBrookings210 MW12010
Crowned Ridge Wind II Energy CenterCodington201 MW12020
Crowned Ridge Wind Energy CenterCodington200 MW12019
Crocker Wind FarmClark200 MW12019
North Bend Wind Project, LLCHyde200 MW12023
Sweetland Wind Farm, LLCHand200 MW12023
Prairie Winds SD1Jerauld162 MW32011
Tatanka RidgeDeuel154 MW12021
Dakota Range III Wind ProjectGrant154 MW12021
Willow Creek Wind Power LLCButte105 MW12020
Day County Wind LLCDay99 MW12010
Coyote RidgeBrookings97 MW12019
Campbell County Wind FarmCampbell94 MW12015
Beethoven WindBon Homme80 MW12015
Wessington SpringsJerauld51 MW12009
Buffalo Ridge I LLCBrookings50 MW12009
South Dakota Wind Energy CenteHyde41 MW12003
Rolling Thunder Wind Farm HybridHand26 MW22009
Aurora County WindAurora20 MW12018
Brule County WindBrule20 MW12018
Oak Tree EnergyClark20 MW12014

Hydro4 plants · 1,648 MW

All US hydro plants →
Hydro power plants in South Dakota, largest first
PlantCountyCapacityUnitsOnline
OaheHughes786 MW71962
Big Bend DamBuffalo538 MW81964
Fort RandallCharles Mix320 MW81954
Spearfish HydroLawrence4.0 MW22012

Natural gas11 plants · 1,646 MW

All US natural gas plants →
Natural gas power plants in South Dakota, largest first
PlantCountyCapacityUnitsOnline
Angus AnsonMinnehaha406 MW31994
Astoria StationDeuel349 MW12021
Deer Creek StationBrookings324 MW22012
Groton Generation StationBrown216 MW22006
Aberdeen CTBrown111 MW21978
Ben FrenchPennington110 MW91965
Bob Glanzer Generating StationBeadle69 MW62022
Lange Generating StationPennington40 MW12002
YanktonYankton13 MW41963
POET Bioprocessing- MitchellDavison3.9 MW12021
POET Biorefining - HudsonLincoln3.6 MW12019

Coal1 plant · 451 MW

All US coal plants →
Coal power plants in South Dakota, largest first
PlantCountyCapacityUnitsOnline
Big StoneGrant451 MW21975

Other9 plants · 250 MW

All US other plants →
Other power plants in South Dakota, largest first
PlantCountyCapacityUnitsOnline
Spirit MoundClay135 MW21978
Watertown Power PlantCodington68 MW11978
Lake PrestonKingsbury24 MW11978
Ft. PierreStanley6.0 MW32004
POET Biorefining - ChancellorTurner5.4 MW12018
Valley Queen CheeseGrant4.5 MW32002
Clark (SD)Clark2.7 MW11970
FaulktonFaulk2.7 MW11969
State Auto InsuranceGrant1.7 MW12001

Solar4 plants · 217 MW

All US solar plants →
Solar power plants in South Dakota, largest first
PlantCountyCapacityUnitsOnline
Wild SpringsPennington128 MW12024
Fall River Solar, LLCFall River80 MW12023
RE Solar, LLCSpink8.3 MW12024
Pierre SolarHughes1.0 MW12016

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 South Dakota?
South Dakota has 54 operable power plants with a combined nameplate capacity of 7.7 GW, the 41st largest generating fleet of the 51 states and DC. 54 of them are currently in service.
›What is the largest power plant in South Dakota?
Oahe in Hughes County, a hydro plant with 786 MW of capacity across 7 generating units, first online in April 1962.
›What fuel do South Dakota's power plants use?
Wind accounts for the largest share of South Dakota's generating capacity — 3,457 MW, or 45.1% of the total, across 25 plants. Hydro follows at 21.5%, Natural gas follows at 21.5%, Coal follows at 5.9%. Note this is capacity, not generation — what the fleet could produce, not what it did.
›What is the oldest power plant in South Dakota?
Fort Randall is the oldest still operable, with its earliest unit entering service in March 1954. The most recent addition is RE Solar, LLC, online since December 2024.