Sherburne County Plant — United States of America
Coal power plant in Minnesota, United States of America. Approximate location 45.379811, -93.896694.
CoalMinnesotaUnited States of Americasubcritical
Sherburne County Plant is a 2,469.3 MW coal power station in Minnesota, United States of America. It is operated by Xcel Energy Inc [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 3.1 million homes (estimated). It ranks #80 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1976, it is around 50 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 GEM_coa_sherburnecounty_unite.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 1,704 MW for Sherburne County Plant, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000104003; fuel: GEM GCPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 2,469.3 MW, Sherburne County Plant is well above the median coal plant in United States of America (558 MW). Technically it is described as subcritical. 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
- Share of United States of America coal capacity
- 0.4% of 621,194 MW across 802 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 392 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)).
Capacity vs largest coal plants in United States of America
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Xcel Energy Inc [100%].
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 45.4°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 79% 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: 89/100 — 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 #29 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
- Sherburne County · Coal · 2,469.3 MW · Minnesota
- Amazon Data Center power station · Oil · 650 MW · Minnesota
- Monticello Nuclear Facility · Nuclear · 691 MW · Minnesota
- Big Lake Project CSG · Solar · 5 MW · Minnesota
- Hammer CSG · Solar · 4.8 MW · Minnesota
- Big Lake Holdco Solar CSG · Solar · 5 MW · Minnesota
Location
Coordinates 45.379811, -93.896694 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Sherburne County Plant?
Sherburne County Plant is a 2,469.3 MW coal power plant in Minnesota, United States of America, commissioned in 1976.
Who operates Sherburne County Plant?
Sherburne County Plant is operated by Xcel Energy Inc [100%].