Butler Ridge

Wind power plant in Wisconsin, United States of America. Approximate location 43.4003, -88.4811.

WindWisconsinUnited States of America

Butler Ridge is a 54 MW wind power plant in Wisconsin, United States of America. It is operated by Butler Ridge Wind Energy Center. Based on reported annual generation of 144 GWh, it can supply roughly 41k homes. It ranks #3596 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2009, it is around 17 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, wind supplies about 10.3% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

54Source-backed capacity
144GWh reported / yr
41,200homes powered
2009commissioned (~17 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0056647.

Data status

Known data

FacilityButler Ridge WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Wisconsin WRI
Coordinates43.4003, -88.4811 WRI
FuelWind WRI
MW installed capacity54 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerButler Ridge Wind Energy Center WRI
Commissioned2009 WRI
GWh reported / yr144 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#3596 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#610 of 1139 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.80× · 68 MW median · 1139 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent41,200 calculated from reported generation
Climate7.5°C · HDD 4,009 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 35/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000906713); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 54 MW, Butler Ridge is below the median wind plant in United States of America (68 MW). Wind turbines convert moving air into electricity; output is variable and site-dependent, and modern turbines deliver some of the lowest-cost new generation on many grids.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Reported generation trend

2013: 152 GWh20132014: 157 GWh20142015: 105 GWh20152016: 145 GWh20162017: 150 GWh20172018: 131 GWh20182019: 144 GWh2019157 GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Butler Ridge Wind Energy Center.

Local climate & thermal context

This wind plant converts the kinetic energy of wind into electricity through turbine rotors. It sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 43.4°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

7.5°Cannual mean temp
4,009heating degree-days (base 18°C)
199cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
300 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -8 °CJF: -6 °CFM: 0 °CMA: 7 °CAM: 14 °CMJ: 19 °CJJ: 21 °CJA: 20 °CAS: 16 °CSO: 10 °CON: 2 °CND: -5 °CD21 °C

Heating degree-days here run 63% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 84/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
35/100environmental-severity index
29.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
61 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #610 largest wind power plant of 1139 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 1139 wind power plants in this dataset, together about 104,873 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 43.4003, -88.4811 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Butler Ridge?

Butler Ridge is a 54 MW source-record wind power plant in Wisconsin, United States of America, commissioned in 2009.

How much electricity does Butler Ridge generate?

Butler Ridge generates about 144 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Butler Ridge power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 41,200 homes.

Who operates Butler Ridge?

Butler Ridge is operated by Butler Ridge Wind Energy Center.

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