Valley Queen Cheese
Grant County, South Dakota · EIA plant ID 56274 · Operator: Valley Queen Cheese Factory, Inc.
Nameplate5MWSummer 2 MW
Generators3in service
Net generation0GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor0%gas/coal/oil units, summer MW
Heat rate9,824Btu/kWhfossil units, electric fuel, HHV
First online2002Runs as rarely runs
The 12-month figures include preliminary EIA-923 months, which EIA revises. Final data runs through Dec 2025.
Monthly net generation
EIA-923, all units at the plant. Net of station use; storage can go negative.
FinalPreliminary
Capacity factor by year
Net MWh ÷ (summer MW × hours), gas/coal/oil units. Each year uses that year's EIA-860 ratings; the hollow dot is the latest 12 months.
Heat rate by year
Electric fuel MMBtu × 1000 ÷ net MWh (Btu/kWh, HHV), fossil units only; CT + CA counted as one combined-cycle block.
Annual data table
| Year | Net GWh | Capacity factor | Heat rate (Btu/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| 2007 | 0.6 | 4.2% | 9,105 |
| 2008 | 0.6 | 4.7% | 8,109 |
| 2009 | 0.4 | 3.3% | 7,974 |
| 2010 | 0.4 | 3.4% | 7,167 |
| 2011 | 0.6 | 4.2% | 6,122 |
| 2012 | 0.6 | 4.2% | 7,291 |
| 2013 | 0.4 | 2.7% | 10,692 |
| 2014 | 0.1 | 0.5% | 13,359 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0.3% | 11,256 |
| 2016 | 0.1 | 0.4% | 10,078 |
| 2017 | 0 | 0.3% | 10,380 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0.2% | 9,960 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0.1% | 10,063 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0.1% | 10,438 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0.2% | 10,160 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0.2% | 9,500 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0.1% | 10,176 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0.2% | 9,774 |
| 2025 | 0 | 0.1% | 10,333 |
Generators
EIA-860 (annual) with EIA-860M updates through Sep 2026. EIA-923 reports generation by plant, prime mover and fuel, not by unit, so unit-level output isn't shown.
| Gen ID | Technology | Prime mover | Nameplate MW | Summer MW | Online | Status | Planned retirement | OEM / model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petroleum Liquids | IC | 1.5 | 0.5 | Apr 2002 | Operating (Standby / backup) | — | coming soon |
| 2 | Petroleum Liquids | IC | 1.5 | 0.5 | Apr 2002 | Operating (Standby / backup) | — | coming soon |
| 3 | Petroleum Liquids | IC | 1.5 | 0.5 | May 2004 | Operating (Standby / backup) | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Valley Queen Cheese Factory, Inc.. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Valley Queen Cheese Factory, Inc. | 100.0% | 5 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| State Auto Insurance | 2 MW | 1.6 km |
| Big Stone | 451 MW | 13.5 km |
| Crowned Ridge Wind Energy Center | 200 MW | 17.3 km |
| Dakota Range Wind | 304 MW | 30.2 km |
| Crowned Ridge Wind II Energy Center | 201 MW | 33.2 km |
| Dakota Range III Wind Project | 154 MW | 36.9 km |