Ben French
Natural gas power plant in Pennington County, South Dakota. 110 MW of nameplate capacity across 9 generators, operated by Black Hills Power, Inc..
Also known as Ben French Power Plant · EIA plant 3325
Analyst: free account, 1 question a day.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 110 MWNatural gas 100.0 · Oil 10.0
- Generators
- 9 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- July 1965First generator online
- Operator
- Black Hills Power, Inc.EIA operator ID 19545
- Grid
- WACMBalancing authority WACM
- Price nodes
- None linkedNo verified ISO node
- Location
- Pennington County, SD44.0872, −103.2610
- EIA plant ID
- 3325EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Ben French produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
20.0 GWh
20,003 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
2.1%
2024: 0.9%
January to July 2026
16.2 GWh
Provisional
Range, 2015 to 2025
1.6–20.0
GWh a year. Low 2015, high 2025
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 347,801 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 367,041 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 172,286 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 137,935 | Not reported | 10 of 12 |
| 2004 | 149,579 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 154,973 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 147,497 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 144,735 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 123,073 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 132,104 | Not reported | 10 of 12 |
| 2010 | 133,365 | 11.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 133,206 | 11.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 96,202 | 8.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 1,886 | 0.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 8,087 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 1,635 | 0.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 6,314 | 0.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 3,308 | 0.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2019 | 7,572 | 0.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2021 | 5,879 | 0.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2023 | 3,103 | 0.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 7,553 | 0.9% | 11 of 12 |
| 2025 | 20,003 | 2.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 16,167 | 2.9% | 7 of 7 |
* 2026 covers January to July and is provisional. Capacity factor is net generation divided by nameplate capacity times the hours of each reported month.
Power prices and basis
Free accountNo verified ISO price node is linked to this plant, or its price history could not load.
Emissions
Free · EPA CAMPDNo EPA emissions units are linked to this plant.
Water use
Free · EIA-923 cooling, USGSNo EIA cooling-water record for this plant in 2024.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petroleum Liquids | 2.0 | July 1965 |
| 2 | Petroleum Liquids | 2.0 | July 1965 |
| 3 | Petroleum Liquids | 2.0 | July 1965 |
| 4 | Petroleum Liquids | 2.0 | July 1965 |
| 5 | Petroleum Liquids | 2.0 | July 1965 |
| GT1 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 25.0 | July 1977 |
| GT2 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 25.0 | August 1977 |
| GT3 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 25.0 | June 1978 |
| GT4 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 25.0 | June 1979 |
Ownership and offtake
ProOwnership and offtake are part of Pro
Owners and their shares, parent companies, and power purchase agreements with their buyers. EIA-860M lists Black Hills Power, Inc. as the operator, which is not always the owner.
Modeled data
ProPro adds modeled values for this plant. Everything above stays free.
Generation potential vs reported
Monthly potential at seasonal net capability, next to EIA-923 output. Shows how much of the plant's capability was used.
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Power plants near Ben French
More plants operated by Black Hills Power, Inc.
Questions about Ben French
How much power does Ben French produce?
Ben French reported 20,003 MWh (20.0 GWh) of net generation in 2025, a 2.1% capacity factor on 110 MW of nameplate capacity. From January to July 2026 it reported 16.2 GWh, which is provisional.
Where is Ben French?
Ben French is in Pennington County, South Dakota, at 44.0872, −103.2610. It is in the Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region balancing area (WACM).
Who operates Ben French?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Black Hills Power, Inc. as the operator (EIA operator ID 19545). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Ben French start operating?
Its first generator began operating in July 1965, according to EIA-860M.
Sources
- EIA-860 2025 (final) and EIA-860M August 2026: plant, generators, capacity, operator and location
- EIA-923 monthly net generation, 2000 to July 2026 (2026 provisional)
- Plant names from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page