Crocker Wind Farm — United States of America

Crocker Wind Farm is a 200 MW wind power station in South Dakota, United States of America. It is operated by Crocker Wind Farm LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 101 GWh, it can supply roughly 29k homes. It ranks #1958 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2019, it is around 7 years old — recently built. 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).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0060505.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 200 MW, Crocker Wind Farm is well above the median wind plant in United States of America (67.7 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.

Key facts

Load factor

6%, from 101 GWh of reported generation; the median for 1120 wind plants in United States of America that report generation is 30%

Share of United States of America wind capacity

0.2% of 104,873 MW across 1,139 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

1,059 of 1,139 dated wind 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)).

Capacity vs largest wind plants in United States of America

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Crocker Wind Farm LLC.

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 45.1°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 83% 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: 91/100 — 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 #155 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

• Oak Tree Energy · Wind · 19.5 MW · South Dakota
• Day County Wind LLC · Wind · 99 MW · South Dakota
• Clark (SD) · Oil · 2.7 MW · South Dakota
• Groton Generating Station · Gas · 216 MW · South Dakota
• Watertown Power Plant · Oil · 67.5 MW · South Dakota
• Aberdeen CT · Gas · 111 MW · South Dakota

Location

Coordinates 45.0515, -97.8264 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions