Coal Creek — United States of America

Coal Creek is a 1,210 MW coal power station in North Dakota, United States of America. It is operated by Great River Energy. Based on reported annual generation of 8,193 GWh, it can supply roughly 2.3 million homes. It ranks #462 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1979, it is around 47 years old — long-established. In context, coal supplies about 16.3% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0006030.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000104090; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,210 MW, Coal Creek is well above the median coal plant in United States of America (558 MW). Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

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

Key facts

Load factor

77%, from 8,193 GWh of reported generation; the median for 244 coal plants in United States of America that report generation is 41%

Share of United States of America coal capacity

0.2% of 621,194 MW across 802 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

435 of 745 dated coal plants in United States of America are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Reported generation trend

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

Owner

Operated by Great River Energy. All plants by this company →

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 47.4°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 92% 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: 92/100 — 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

This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

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 #199 largest coal power plant of 802 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 802 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 621,194 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Coal Creek Station · Coal · 1,210 MW · North Dakota
• Leland Olds Station · Coal · 656 MW · North Dakota
• Leland Olds · Coal · 656 MW · North Dakota
• Stanton Station · Coal · 191.2 MW · North Dakota
• Garrison · Hydro · 583.4 MW · North Dakota
• FPL Energy Oliver Wind I LLC · Wind · 50.6 MW · North Dakota

Location

Coordinates 47.3777, -101.1571 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions