💧 Hydroelectric Power Facilities Registry

TOTAL FACILITIES

Active installations

COMBINED CAPACITY

104

Megawatts (MW)

AVERAGE OUTPUT

MW per facility

CAPACITY FACTOR

52%

Regional average

📊 Project Classification & Distribution

Project Type	Count	Total Capacity	Percentage
Run-of-River	5	53 MW	51.3%
Reservoir-Based	2	42 MW	39.9%
Lock & Dam	1	9 MW	8.8%

Note: Pumped storage facilities are tracked in a separate registry due to their unique operational characteristics.

🌊 Facilities by River System

River System	Watershed	Facilities	Total Output (MW)	Primary State(s)
Mississippi River	Upper Mississippi Basin	2	32 MW	MN, WI
St. Croix River	Upper Mississippi Tributary	1	11 MW	MN
Red River	Hudson Bay Watershed	1	13 MW	ND
Missouri River	Missouri River Basin	3	34 MW	SD, ND
Wisconsin River	Upper Mississippi Tributary	1	15 MW	WI

Table Legend: Facility names reflect official FERC license designations. Coordinates indicate approximate powerhouse location. Project types: ROR (Run-of-River), RES (Reservoir), L&D (Lock & Dam). All capacity values in megawatts (MW).

📋 Hydroelectric Facilities Detailed Registry

Facility Name	Project Type	Generation Capacity	Location	Coordinates	Upgrade/Operational	Operating Entity
Red River Hydro Plant	Run-of-River	12.5 MW	Grand Forks, ND	47.9253, -97.0329	Operational since 2009	Northern States Power
Big Sioux Hydro	HYDRO	8.2 MW	Sioux Falls, South Dakota	43.5446°N, -96.7311°W	Operational since 2013	Sioux Valley Energy
Missouri River Hydro	Hydroelectric	18.7MW	Yankton, SD	42.8711, -97.3973	January 2016	NorthWestern Energy
James River Hydro	Small Hydro	6.8MW	Jamestown, North Dakota	46.9105°N, -98.7084°W	Operational since 2018	Otter Tail Power
North Fork Hydro	HYDRO	14.5 MW	Eau Claire, Wisconsin	44.8113°N, -91.4985°W	Operational since 2019	Dairyland Power
Vermillion River Hydro	Hydroelectric Dam	9.2 MW	Hastings, MN	44.7433°N, -92.8521°W	Operational since 2021	Xcel Energy
La Crosse Hydro Expansion	HYDRO	22.8 MW	La Crosse, Wisconsin	43.8014°N, -91.2396°W	Operational since 2022	Dairyland Power
Cannon Falls Hydro	Run-of-River	11.3 megawatts	Cannon Falls, Minnesota	44.5069°N, -92.9054°W	Operational since 2023	Great River Energy

📝 Technical Notes & Clarifications

Generation Capacity: Nameplate capacity represents maximum instantaneous electrical output under optimal flow conditions. Actual generation varies seasonally based on river flow, reservoir levels, and operational constraints.
Project Types Explained:
- Run-of-River (ROR): Minimal water storage; generation follows natural flow patterns
- Reservoir-Based (RES): Significant storage capacity allowing for flow regulation and peak generation
- Lock & Dam (L&D): Dual-purpose facilities serving navigation and power generation
Coordinates: Latitude and longitude represent approximate powerhouse or turbine intake structure location in WGS84 datum (EPSG:4326). Large facilities may have multiple generation units across extended dam structures.
Upgrade/Operational Dates: Dates reflect when modernized equipment achieved commercial operation. Many facilities operate at historic dam sites constructed 50-100+ years ago.
Fish Passage: All facilities listed maintain fish passage structures in compliance with FERC license requirements and state DNR regulations.

📚 Terminology Reference

Nameplate Capacity	Maximum rated electrical output in megawatts under optimal conditions
Capacity Factor	Ratio of actual annual generation to potential generation if facility operated at nameplate capacity 24/7
Head	Vertical distance water falls through turbines; determines energy potential
Hydraulic Turbine	Rotating machine that converts water flow energy into mechanical shaft power
Penstock	Large pipe or channel that conveys water from reservoir to turbine
FERC License	Federal authorization required to construct and operate hydropower projects on navigable waters

🔗 Additional Resources

📄 FERC Licensing Database 🗺️ National Hydropower Map 📊 Generation Statistics 📧 Submit Update Request

Database Maintained By: EPA Office of Atmospheric Programs, Hydroelectric Resources Division

Last Updated: December 22, 2023 | Version: 5.0.3 | Update Frequency: Quarterly

Questions or data corrections? Email: hydro.registry@epa.gov | Phone: 1-866-EPA-HYDRO

⚠️ EDUCATIONAL USE NOTICE This webpage and all data contained herein are simulated and fictional, created for educational purposes as part of APEC 8221: Programming for Econometrics coursework at the University of Minnesota. While designed to be realistic in structure and format, the facilities, locations, capacity values, ownership information, and other details are not real and should not be used for any purpose other than learning web scraping and data analysis techniques. No actual EPA database, hydroelectric facility records, or government information is represented here. This is a teaching tool only.