Fergus Falls, MN: 1921+1948+1959+1964-2021 137mw Otter Tail Hoot Lake Power Plant

(Satellite)

Plant Nameplate Capacity: 136.9 MW (Megawatts)

Units and In-Service Dates: Unit 1: 7.5 MW (1948), Unit 2: 54.4 MW (1959), Unit 3: 75.0 MW (1964)

Unit Retirements: Unit 1 retired in 2005, Units 2 and 3 retired on May 27, 2021

In January 2013, the Minnesota PUC approved a plan to convert the plant to natural gas by 2020. In addition, Otter Tail will install pollution controls at the plant by 2015.[7] In 2019 it was reported that the facility will not be converted but replaced by a new powerplant with a 245-megawatt natural gas combustion turbine, to be build southeast of Watertown in east central South Dakota. The facility will be known as the Astoria Station.

[gem]

This was originally the site of a 1914 hydro plant.

As the demand for electricity grew, a 1.5mw coal-fired plant was built in 1921. Over the years, units were replaced and added until Unit 2 was added in 1959 and Unit 3 was added in 1964. The coal-fired plant was retired on May 27, 2021.  [otpco]

otpco specifies both 140mw and 145mw has the combined capacity of those two units. But gem puts the capacity at 129mw.

A satellite image shows that the plant has been removed.

Note the date on this view. The plant was retired in 2021, and it is now gone.

Street View, Sep 2008

Back when the coal-fired plant existed.

Google Earth, Jun 2021

Photo via otpco

Photo via otpco

An early coal-fired plant on the right.

Jeremy Umlauf, May 2021

Some photos from a photo album at otpco. This site also has a couple of videos about the plant's retirement that I did not bother to watch. 

a
Hoot Lake Plant Open House, 1959.

b
Boiler, 1948

c
Unit 2, 1963.

d
Turbo-generator set, 1923.

e
Equipment inside the power house, 1921.

f
1960s

g
Exterior View, 1930s.

h
The plant as viewed from the North Country Trail.